All About Movies

Fashion essentials 2012

2012-01-27T09:10:00.001-08:00

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

2009-07-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

The sub zero heroes are back. Scrat is still trying to nab the ever elusive nut, while maybe finding true love. Manny and Ellie await the birth of their mini-mammoth. Diego the saber toothed tiger wonders if heâs growing too soft and Sid the sloth gets into trouble when he creates his own makeshift family by hijacking some dinosaur eggs. On a mission to rescue the hapless Sid, the gang ventures into a mysterious underground world, where they have some close encounters with dinosaurs, battle flora and fauna, run amuck and meet a relentless, one eyed, dino-hunting weasel named Buck.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2009-07-21T09:39:00.001-07:00

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching.

Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts.

Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn't counted on Romilda Vane's chocolates! And then there's Hermione, simmering with jealousy but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

Mila Kunis

2009-06-11T00:58:00.000-07:00

The beautiful Mila Kunis, born in the Ukraine, got her biggest breaks by watching The Price is Right and lying about her age -- as a new arrival to the United States, she used Bob Barker's game show to improve her English, and at her audition for That '70s Show, she didn't tell producers that she was three years younger than their age requirement.

Now her voice, good looks and acting talent have been put to good use with voice work on Family Guy, music videos for Aerosmith and modeling for both Maxim and Stuff. In 2008, she appeared in two notable films -- Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Max Payne. She might like World of Warcraft, but there's not very much that’s geeky about Mila Kunis. Besides being a regular in magazines, she's also been featured in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2008 list and Maxim's Hot 100 list the same year. Her different-colored eyes give her desirability a quirky and unique twist.

After eight seasons on That '70s Show, in 2008 Mila Kunis jumped to the world of film, with roles in the Mark Wahlberg actioner Max Payne and the breakout hit Forgetting Sarah Marshall. She hopes to continue to catch our eye in 2009's Extract, the new Jason Bateman-Ben Affleck comedy from director Mike Judge (Office Space).

Keira Knightley

2009-06-11T00:52:00.000-07:00

By 3 years old, Keira Knightley had decided to become an actress and she demanded an agent. It took another three years to get one, but 20 years later, her one-track mind has netted her an Oscar nomination and a spot as one of filmdom's highest-paid women.

Keira Knightley's big-budget debut came in 1999's Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace as Natalie Portman's decoy, but her role in Bend It Like Beckham won her much respect. Since then, blockbusters like the Pirates of the Caribbean have been balanced with critical favorites like Pride and Prejudice. Keira Knightley was nominated for an Oscar for her work in Pride and Prejudice, and her two performances in 2008 have won similar praise. First there was The Edge of Love, based on a screenplay by her mom, Sharman Macdonald, and then there was The Duchess, in which she played the Duchess of Devonshire.

Acting aside, Keira Knightley is also a total knockout. She topped the list of 2007 beauty icons by UK chain Superdrug, and she’ll continue her hallucinatory effects on the male libido in the 2009 film Last Night, with Sam Worthington and Eva Mendes.

Olga Kurylenko

2009-06-11T00:49:00.000-07:00

There are few jobs in Hollywood more enviable than that of a casting director for a James Bond film.

We can think of worse ways to spend a day than auditioning beautiful actress after beautiful actress for the part of the latest Bond girl.

The most recent of these legendary screen sirens is Olga Kurylenko.

Some suggest this Ukrainian-born actress might be the sexiest to ever share the screen with 007. She started as a model, working in Paris and supporting her family back home.

However, the big screen beckoned, and Olga Kurylenko left the runway behind to seek her fortunes in Hollywood. Since she landed one of the biggest roles a young actress can hope for, that turned out to be a good decision.

You usually don’t associate the name Olga with beauty, but that’s about to change.

Olga Kurylenko was absolutely sizzling as Camille in Quantum of Solace. She brings an exotic, dangerous edge to the classic Bond girl that has never been seen before.

She has big, dark eyes and a body that would make Olympic gymnasts jealous, plus she can speak French as well as Ukrainian -- in fact, the only thing she seems to be missing is the love of a good man.

Isla Fisher

2009-06-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

Actress Isla Fisher penned a pair of best-selling novels in her native Australia before joining the TV soap opera Home and Away. She broke into American movies by playing Shaggy's girlfriend in Scooby-Doo, and got even more attention in the 2005 comedy Wedding Crashers.

In recent years, she's played mind and relationship games with Jessica Biel and Chris Evans in London and seduced slow-minded bank employee Joseph Gordon-Levitt in The Lookout.

This red-haired beauty impressed us through 2008, both in Definitely, Maybe with Ryan Reynolds and by providing the voice of Dr. Mary Lou Larue in Horton Hears a Who! In addition, she was named to the Maxim Hot 100 list for the second year in a row -- not bad for a woman who just had her first child in 2007.

Isla Fisher's most intriguing venture for 2009 is the lead role in Confessions of a Shopaholic, the story of a shopping addict who ends up giving financial advice -- expect to see more of the lovely Isla Fisher at her comedic best.

Summer Glau

2009-06-04T01:25:00.000-07:00

There’s little doubt that Summer Glau has managed to accomplish a heck of a lot in a relatively short amount of time, as she only kicked off her professional acting career in 2002 with a guest spot on the series Angel. That same year, however, she set geek hearts the world over aflutter with her role as the enigmatic River Tam on the short-lived yet beloved TV show Firefly, which was eventually spun off into the 2005 cult film Serenity.

And, although she’s taken on starring roles in such series as The Unit and The 4400, Summer Glau’s ongoing stint as a protective cyborg on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles has proved instrumental in widening her appeal beyond the nerd bSummer Glau’s ability to crawl into the skin of wholly unusual characters has made her a favorite within the sci-fi community, and her unexpectedly layered take on a killing machine in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles caught the attention of a legion of new fans.

Cast alongside beauties like Lena Headey and Shirley Manson, Summer Glau has, with seemingly little effort, managed to establish herself as a sex symbol for the sci-fi crowd. Her stellar work on the series recently won her a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Television Actress, and although she had to share the prize with Lost’s Elizabeth Mitchell, this win placed her ahead of such small-screen hotties as Jennifer Carpenter and Hayden Panettiere. rigade.

Stacy Keibler

2009-06-04T01:19:00.000-07:00

Stacy Keibler actually made her cinematic debut with an uncredited cameo appearance in John Waters’ 1998 comedy Pecker, though it wasn’t until she retired from the wrestling world that she was finally able to devote herself full-time to acting.

2008 proved to be Stacy Keibler’s breakthrough year, as she took on a one-episode shot opposite her real-life boyfriend Geoff Stults on the ABC series October Road, and subsequently landed a recurring role on ABC Family’s Samurai Girl alongside Jamie Chung and Brendan Fehr. It’s an impressive turnaround for someone who was once best known as “The Legs of WWE.”

Odette Yustman

2009-06-04T01:11:00.000-07:00

This beautiful brunette had her big break in 2008, but few people got to see just how cute she really was. That’s because her break came in Cloverfield, and its jerky “handheld” filming style rendered her face a barely visible blur. However, make no mistake -- this budding starlet is on her way to big things. Her name comes from the ballet Swan Lake, but this California native ditched the tutu as a kid and focused instead on acting.

Moviegoers first saw her in Kindergarten Cop with Arnold Schwarzenegger way back in 1990, and she’s been slowly working her way up everIf you’re a fan of the girl-next-door type, may we introduce Odette Yustman. She doesn’t overwhelm with flowing blond hair or bee-stung lips, but her beauty is almost breathtaking. She isn’t just a pretty face, either. Anyone who can pull off what she did in Cloverfield (namely, playing a believable role when her main costar is a 350-foot monster) can act. She did so well, in fact, that The Dark Knight screenwriter David S. Goyer tapped her to star in his upcoming horror flick, The Unborn. We’re going to see a lot more of Odette Yustman, and that is a very, very good thing. since.

Hayden Panettiere

2009-06-04T01:07:00.000-07:00

Hayden Panettiere’s transformation from talented child actress to sex symbol certainly didn’t occur overnight, as she’s spent the majority of her career taking on roles in family-friendly endeavors such as 2000’s Remember the Titans, 2004’s Raising Helen and 2005’s Ice Princess.

It was only as she blossomed into a beautiful young woman that she was afforded the opportunity to play more than just wholesome characters, with her critically lauded and award-winning stint as the invincible Claire Bennet on NBC’s Heroes propelling her to an enHayden Panettiere’s star-making role on Heroes took a dark turn this year after Claire was forced to shed her innocence and become a cold-hearted killer, a twist that allowed the actress to tap into other sides of her personality and effectively prove that she’s got the chops to tackle a variety of different characters.

This versatility has certainly been reflected in her upcoming roles, as Hayden Panettiere has managed to land a series of increasingly high-profile gigs -- including the title character in the upcoming romantic comedy I Love You, Beth Cooper. Additionally, Hayden Panettiere was also named a successor to Fergie and Hilary Duff (among others) as the latest spokeswoman for the Candie’s fashion line.tirely new level of fame.

Zoe Saldana

2009-06-04T01:04:00.000-07:00

Though she’s been working steadily since the turn of the century, Zoe Saldana has managed to maintain a relatively low profile in spite of an impressive filmography that boasts appearances alongside, among others, Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp and Dennis Quaid.

It’s consequently not surprising to note that Zoe Saldana has slowly but surely begun to establish herself as an up-and-comer worth watching, as her bubbly, downright charismatic screen presence has proved instrumental in elevating even the weakest of movies (check out her work in the otherwise forgettable 2005 Ashton Kutcher vehicle Guess Who for proof of this).

Zoe Saldana’s days of relative anonymity are about to end, as 2008 marked her breakthrough year in terms of roles received. Though she only made one on-screen appearance in the past 12 months (a small role in the ensemble thriller Vantage Point), Zoe Saldana successfully landed parts in two of 2009’s most eagerly anticipated films. First up is her take on the iconic character of Uhura in J.J. Abrams' reimagining of the Star Trek franchise, which she’ll follow with a starring role in James Cameron’s groundbreaking science-fiction epic Avatar.

Christina Applegate

2009-06-02T04:50:00.000-07:00

As Kelly Bundy, the sexy, stupid blonde who warmed our hearts on Married with Children, Christina Applegate helped the fledgling FOX network get off the ground in the late 1980s. In addition to film and stage work, she also starred in another sitcom, Jesse. Despite great reviews and even an Emmy nod, Jesse was canceled in 2000 after just two seasons.

In late 2007, Christina Applegate returned to sitcoms as the star of ABC’s Samantha Who? In August 2008, she announced that she had breast cancer. Following treatment that included a successful double mastectomy, her doctors declared her cancer-free. Christina Applegate began 2008 riding high on the success of Samantha Who? only to be humbled by a diagnosis of breast cancer. Shortly after her double mastectomy, she made an inspirational appearance at the Emmys, saying: “It's a great day. I've got a pretty dress on and lipstick, and it's something I haven't done in two months. It really feels good to be here.”

It feels pretty good to us too to have her back on TV and cancer-free, as she's a woman of incredible talent and charisma, not to mention a knockout beauty.

Christina Hendricks

2009-06-02T04:47:00.000-07:00

Christina Hendricks was born in 1975, in Knoxville, Tennessee, and raised in Idaho and Virginia. After modeling in New York and London, she made her on-screen debut in the 1999 TV movie Sorority before landing a role on Beggars & Choosers in 2000. A recurring role on ER in 2002 led to appearances on Firefly, which earned her a SyFy Genre Award and a regular role on Kevin Hill. More guest appearances on series such as Cold Case, Without A Trace and Las Vegas followed before she landed the virtually tailor-made role of sultry '60s secretary Joan Holloway on the AMC series Mad Men in 2007. Christina Hendricks has also been featured in the indie films La Cucina and South of Pico.

One look at this voluptuous redhead should make it clear why Christina Hendricks made our Top 99 list. Physical attributes aside, her perfect portrayal of a seductive secretary in the testosterone, tobacco and booze-fueled world of 1960s-era Madison Avenue in the first season of Mad Men helped her character, Joan Holloway, become more prominent in the second season, which aired in 2008. Christina Hendricks shared a Screen Actors Guild nomination for ensemble performance in 2008 with her costars, and we look forward to catching up with all of them again this year for the highly anticipated third season of Mad Men. She'll also costar with Dermot Mulroney in the film Driving Lessons.

Paz Vega

2009-06-02T04:44:00.000-07:00

If you don’t routinely watch TV shows made in Spain, you may not think you know who Paz Vega is, but if you don’t know her by name, you likely know her heartbreakingly beautiful Andalucían face from films like Hable con ella or Spanglish. Meanwhile, Spanish viewers know her best as Laurita Arteagabeitia from the most pop

Paz Vega closed out 2008 as Plaster of Paris in Frank Miller’s The Spirit, giving us just a taste of what this gorgeous actress is all about. Fortunately, her profile should skyrocket in 2009 thanks to a number of upcoming releases, including Christopher B. Landon’s Burning Palms, Triage with Colin Farrell and the thriller Not Forgotten. It shouldn’t be too long before Paz Vega’s name is spoken with the same reverential awe as another Spanish-born beauty and international star -- Penelope Cruzular sitcom in Spanish history, 7 Vidas.

Leighton Meester

2009-06-02T04:42:00.000-07:00

Beverly Hills High School alumnus Leighton Meester turned just 22 in 2008, but next year her acting career will enter its 10th year. The adorable brunette certainly has cause to celebrate: Her spin as the wealthy, fashionable and fabulously bitchy Blair Waldorf on the CW’s prime-time teen soap opera GosWe welcomed Leighton Meester’s return to Entourage in 2008 (however brief). Yet, as the second season of Gossip Girl unfolded in all its jealous glory, we were reminded of the scheming, backstabbing queen bee’s rich heritage on American TV: no drama is complete without her, and her snarl can be seen a mile away (Meester's predecessors in this regard include Joan Collins on Dynasty and Michelle Rodriguez on Lost).

However, as Blair Waldorf, Leighton Meester’s sun-kissed cuteness makes for an irresistibly cruel and clever twist on the original (even if she isn’t TV’s first stuck-up, prep-school bitch named Blair), and she' s the No. 1 reason to tune in every week. The role of Blair also garnered Leighton Meester two nods at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards: one for Choice TV Actress and a second for Choice TV Breakout Star Female. sip Girl has made her a star.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck

2009-06-02T04:36:00.000-07:00

View cohost, mother of two and wife of ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck, Elisabeth Hasselbeck hasn’t always been the iconic champion of the oppressed right-wing elite minority that she is today. She got her start on TV as Elisabeth Filarski, the token girl-next-door on Survivor: The Australian Outback, then parlayed that fame into a show on the Style Network before beating out an initially large pool of hopefuls to permanently replace Lisa Ling on The View.

Emily Blunt

2009-06-02T04:32:00.000-07:00

Emily Blunt is an English actress who has appeared in films such as Charlie Wilson’s War, Dan in Real Life and The Devil Wears Prada. She began her acting career at the age of 16, after attending an arts school. She started landing roles soon after that, eventually getting her big break in 2003, when she garnered critical acclaim for her role in Henry VIII. In 2007, she earned a Golden Globe for her role in the British film Gideon’s Daughter.

Emily Blunt has three films slated for release over the next year, including a starring role in the flick The Wolf Man, costarring Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro. She is also now on the market, after recently ending a three-year relationship with Canadian singer Michael Buble.

Blake Lively

2009-06-02T04:29:00.000-07:00

Born into show business, Blake Lively preferred cheerleading over acting until she played Bridget in 2005's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The offers poured in, including one for the high school comedy Accepted, for which Blake Lively eventually received a Hollywood Life Breakthrough Award.

It's been onwards and upwards ever since for Blake Lively. She's Serena on TV's Gossip Girl, for which she won a pair of 2008 Teen Choice Awards, and she played Bridget again in a Sisterhood sequel. She also hammed it up as a transsexual partyer alongside James Franco in a memorable skit on Saturday Night Live. Blake Lively is hitting her stride as an actress and a babe. Besides her movie and television pursuits, she appeared on the cover of various magazines, including NYLON, Cosmopolitan and Lucky. Her projects aren't the most male-accessible entertainment, but it was hard not to notice this blond beauty, especially in her pro-Obama pitch during election season.

In addition to her continued television work, 2009 will see Blake Lively in more guy-friendly projects like the short-film compilation New York, I Love You (featuring Kevin Bacon) and the Keanu Reeves-Robin Wright Penn drama The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. We can't wait.

Vanessa Hudgens

2009-06-02T04:24:00.000-07:00

Vanessa Hudgens starred in High School Musical 3 in 2008, and went on tour in support of her Identified album. In 2009, Hudgens will star in the comedy Bandslam, a movie about teenagers drawn together by their love of music.

She became the spokesperson for Neutrogena in ’08, and also presented at the MTV VMAs, which makes us think we’ll be seeing even more of this fresh-faced beauty throughout ’09.

Before rising to fame as Gabrielle Montez in the High School Musical series, Vanessa Hudgens made appearances in films like Thirteen and Thunderbirds, as well as on TV shows like The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. After becoming a star, she pursued a music career, and has released two albums -- V and Identified -- on Hollywood Records, though neither album sold particularly well. However, her undeniable cuteness and sweet demeanor continue to make her a hot commodity.

Olivia Munn

2009-06-02T04:22:00.000-07:00

Olivia Munn is a model, actress and television personality, as well as one of the faces of American cable channel G4. She cohosts Attack of the Show! with Kevin Pereira, answering viewer questions about sex and dating. She has also worked as a model for Nike, Pepsi and Neutrogena. In 2007, she appeared in Playboy magazine in a non-nude pictorial spread, as well as in the Rob Schneider movie Big Stan.

Following her role in the 2008 flick Insanitarium, in which she played a nurse in an insane asylum, along with the comedy The Slammin' Salmon, Olivia Munn kept her name on the minds of men everywhere by appearing in an article for Men’s Health Living on creating the ultimate guy’s bedroom. It didn’t take long for Olivia Munn to gain legions of fans across the globe, and something tells us she’ll continue to be desired by many men well into 2009.

Dania Ramirez

2009-06-02T04:19:00.000-07:00

Dania Ramirez was born in the Dominican Republic, where she caught the acting bug at a young age. Working in a convenience store in New York City, at the age of 15, Dania Ramirez was discovered by a modeling agency, and was offered a part in a small local commercial. From there, she started to pursue acting more seriously, and headed to the West Coast. After relocating to Los Angeles, she earned minor roles in She Hate Me and X-Men: The Last Stand. She went on to land a part in the TV show Heroes.

Katharine McPhee

2009-06-02T04:10:00.000-07:00

Tall and voluptuous with girl-down-the-block beauty, Katharine McPhee can raise our blood pressure without uttering a single note. Yet when she does sing, she soars, leading us to wonder whether she has normal vocal chords like the rest of us or if she has a booming pipe organ inside.

Before the year was out, Katharine McPhee was signed to David Foster’s 143 Records label, meaning that her sophomore album may reach stores in the spring of 2009.Brown-eyed songbird and American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee began 2008 by parting ways with her label (RCA). She then married her (much older) boyfriend, Nick Cokas, in February '08, became a spokesperson for Neutrogena and costarred in The House Bunny with Anna Faris -- not a bad turnaround.

Holly Weber

2009-06-02T04:03:00.000-07:00

Not only did the impossibly beautiful Holly Weber once have physical imperfections (crooked teeth -- the horror!), but she was also in school to become a dentist. When her braces came off, the beauty lights came on and, more than 25 calendars and multiple magazines later, her viewing audience agrees that she's not too shabby.

Acting is Holly Weber's latest venture, and 2008 saw her guest star on three TV series, including Dirt and Criminal Minds (as the aptly-named Holly Hottie). She also had cameos in the Adam Sandler comedy You Don't Mess with the Zohan and the Oscar contender Frost/Nixon.

If you weren't already convinced by Holly Weber's two-time selection as FHM's Hometown Honey, let's just state the obvious: Holly Weber is hot. Her recent leap to acting in roles as models, playmates and girlfriends emphasizes how important her beauty is to her work. The camera loves her.

We'll be seeing a lot more of her in 2009, as she'll appear in a pair of high-flying action sequels -- Crank 2: High Voltage and Fast & Furious. She's also playing a sexy chef in the Katherine Heigl-Gerard Butler comedy The Ugly Truth. We can't wait to see what she'll cook up.

Camilla Belle

2009-06-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

Camille Belle is one of Hollywood’s emerging starlets. Her credits date back through much of her life, and she has been rumored to be romantically attached to one of the Jonas brothers and Twilight star Robert Pattinson (though not at the same time).

Camilla Bella’s career highlights include The Quiet, the horror remake When A Stranger Calls, and starring as Daniel Day-Lewis’ daughter in The Ballad of Jack and Rose. The exotic looks of this half-Brazilian actress, who stands at 5’8”, understandably reminds us of the Brazilian model invasion that followed Gisele Bundchen’s successful storming of the fashion world. While Camilla Belle does do some modeling, the bilingual actress largely sticks to acting, like her 2008 stint in 10,000 BC.

With no fewer than four projects scheduled for 2009, get ready for Camilla Bella to explode. Among others, she’ll appear in the Heroes-like Push with Dakota Fanning, as well as Three Stories About Joan, Bruce Willis’ directorial debut.

Audrina Patridge

2009-06-02T03:58:00.000-07:00

Rumors swirled that 2008's season of The Hills would be its last, but producers decided to keep the show going for yet another season, which will begin airing this spring.

Audrina Patridge, in our estimation, is much hotter than Lauren. Yes, we said it. This new source of eye candy is getting tons of attention these days, and with a big-screen flick coming up in ’09 (Sorority Row) and at least one more in 2010 (Into the Blue 2), we’ll still have many more months of indulging in shots of AuLegend has it that Audrina Patridge was ”discovered” by producers of The Hills, plucked from the poolside of anonymity and thrust to fame and fortune -- a modern-day Lana Turner.

Fine, fine, we believe it, and we even believe that The Hills is real, that it isn’t fully orchestrated from start to finish. Where are these Audrina Patridge naked shots we keep hearing so much about?drina… in a bikini... by the pool… again.

Anna Paquin

2009-06-02T03:51:00.000-07:00

Without a note of acting experience, or even any real interest in it, Anna Paquin became the second youngest person in the history of the Academy Awards to win an Oscar for 1993’s The Piano. She celebrated the win like any preteen would -- she went on a school camping trip in New Zealand, where she grew up.

Over 15 years later, Anna Paquin is fresh off a critically acclaimed made-for-TV movie and is starring in her first TV series, HBO’s vampire delight, True Blood. She currently has roles in three movies lined up: Miss Irena's Children, Flying Into Love and Metamorphosis.

The Observer once described Anna Paquin as “oddball sexy,” a term that introduces what it is about her that we find so desirable: She’s cute, yes, but she’s a misfit too, and she’s been one at least since she won that Oscar.

In fact, even today, at 26, Anna Paquin still looks a bit like the emotionally troubled teen with a questionable reputation who finds refuge at the school theater. Can’t speak for others, but at our high school, this girl was smokin’ hot.

Naomi Watts

2009-06-02T03:30:00.000-07:00

The "Queen of Remakes" nickname that Naomi Watts carries doesn't do justice to her acting talent. Trained in acting since childhood, including a stint at North Sydney Girls High School with Nicole Kidman as a classmate, Naomi Watts started her career in Australian television before earning major kudos in David Lynch's bizarre Hollywood odyssey Mulholland Drive.

While some of her biggest hits (King Kong, The Ring) have indeed been remakes, and there are rumors of another one on the horizon (2011's The Birds, with George Clooney), the Oscar-nominated Naomi Watts has also shown her diverse talents in highly praised films like 21 Grams and Eastern Promises. 2008 featured Naomi Watts in yet another remake, the perpetually creepy Funny Games.

Naomi Watts is a natural beauty with looks that the camera loves and that audiences desire. To date, she's been singled out by People (50 Most Beautiful People, 2002), FHM France (100 Sexiest Women in the World, 2006), FHM UK (Most Eligible Women, 2006), and us (AskMen.com's Most Desirable Women, 2006).

There was nothing sexy about Naomi Watts' performance in 2008's Funny Games. As the strongest voice in a family being held hostage, she was decidedly unglamorous -- and unquestionably talented. In 2009, she teams up with Clive Owen for the thriller The International and her pal Nicole Kidman for the twisted drama Need. She also has roles in We Are All the Same and Kicked, Bitten and Scratched.

Katherine Heigl

2009-06-02T00:50:00.000-07:00

The Emmy award-winning Katherine Heigl started modeling at age 9, and made early appearances on-screen with roles in Steven Seagal's Under Siege 2 and the slasher doll saga Bride of Chucky. It was her breakout role on TV's Roswell in 1998 that made her a familiar face.

In 2007, Katherine Heigl scored a double whammy with an Emmy win for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Grey's Anatomy and a role as Seth Rogen's pregnant companion in the smash hit Knocked Up. She continued her streak by headlining the 2008 comedy 27 Dresses. This summer, she'll appear opposite Gerard Butler in The Ugly Truth.

While Katherine Heigl has been busy winning our affections on-screen, she's also found time to flaunt her perfect bod in photo shoots for magazines like Maxim and FHM -- the latter featured her in two installments of its 100 Sexiest Women in the World feature. In 2008, reader and staff votes put her at the top of AskMen.com's list of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women.

Katherine Heigl has done little to send our eyes elsewhere. 27 Dresses was an outright chick flick, but its success means we'll be seeing a lot more of her in 2009, both on Grey's Anatomy and in the battle-of-the-sexes comedy The Ugly Truth, costarring Gerard Butler.

Sarah Shahi

2009-06-02T00:39:00.000-07:00

The Iranian-Spanish beauty Sarah Shahi is a descendant of a 19th-century king, which surely explains her inclinations toward fame. A former beauty pageant winner in Texas, she studied opera and English at Southern Methodist University before becoming a cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys and gracing the cover of their 2000 calendar.

A meeting with the late director Robert Altman sent her to Hollywood, and roles on Alias and Dawson's Creek soon followed. She went on to play DJ Carmen de la Pica Morales on The L Word for three seasons, then Sarah Shahi left the show for her current television home on NBC's Life.

Many actors are lucky to create one TV character who can stick with audiences. Sarah Shahi is working on her second one. As ex-drug-addict-turned-cop Dani Reese on Life, she blends Dani's faults with her own to create an unflinchingly realistic character. This girl's got talent.

Sarah Shahi isn't difficult to look at, either. Maxim featured her in its 2005 and 2006 Hot 100 lists, and she made the top 5 of AfterEllen.com's 2007 hot list. Sarah Shahi will attract attention on the small screen on Life in 2009, and will heat up the big screen as a stripper in an as-yet-untitled murder mystery.

Nadine Velazquez

2009-06-02T00:28:00.000-07:00

There’s little doubt that maids the world over owe Nadine Velazquez a debt of gratitude, as the actress has single-handedly infused the profession with a jolt of unexpected sensuality with her irresistibly sultry work as Catalina on My Name is Earl. The NBC series has proved instrumental in cementing Nadine Velazquez’s reputation as one of the small screen’s sexiest icons, and her role in 2008’s made-for-television movie Husband for Hire effectively perpetuates that image. It’s certainly an impressive turnabout for an actress previously best known for appearances in entirely forgettable efforts, including 2004’s Eddie Griffin action flick Blast and the needless 2005 House of the Dead sequel.

Though she remains best known for her role on My Name is Earl, Nadine Velazquez has started -- slowly but surely -- to branch out into other endeavors designed to establish her as more than just another pretty face. In addition to her appearance alongside Mario Lopez and Mark Consuelos in Husband for Hire, Nadine Velazquez has busied herself by taking on a small but pivotal role in an upcoming Christina Ricci comedy entitled All’s Faire in Love. The arrival of her risqué 2009 calendar indicates that Nadine Velazquez isn’t quite ready to completely abandon her sultry reputation, and we’re grateful for her willingness to capitalize on her jaw-dropping beauty.

Emma Stone

2009-06-02T00:19:00.000-07:00

Though she’s only been in the business since 2005, Emma Stone has quickly amassed a small yet potent resume that’s effectively established her as one of the most promising up-and-coming comedic actress to come around in quite some time. She started out her career by taking on one-episode guest spots on shows like Malcolm in the Middle and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, but it was her scene-stealing work as the object of Jonah Hill’s affections in the 2007 smash Superbad that firmly established her as a new face worth watching.

With her off-kilter looks and sarcastic sensibilities, Emma Stone has effectively cultivated the image of an approachable girl-next-door type -- the kind most guys have known (and probably lusted after) at least once in their lives. She’s certainly perpetuated this notion by taking on roles in a pair of 2008 comedies, The House Bunny and The Rocker, and her upcoming gigs will only strengthen her appeal and confirm her impending superstardom. She’ll first be seen alongside Noureen DeWulf as one of the title characters in the Matthew McConaughey/Jennifer Garner romcom The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, then she'll segue into her very first starring role in Paper Man. There’s little doubt that Emma Stone’s days as a bit player are coming to a swift end, as she’s primed to join the ranks of such famously funny ladies as Kate Hudson and Meg Ryan.

Elizabeth Banks

2009-06-02T00:14:00.000-07:00

As a wee one, the lovely Elizabeth Banks competed on Nickelodeon's Finders Keepers and, once Hollywood found her, it had every intention of keeping her. While climbing the ranks, she used her girl-next-door appeal well as office babe Betty Brant in the three Spider-Man films, and then she got naughty as a bookworm with a wild side in The 40 Year Old Virgin.

2008 saw Elizabeth Banks in no less than seven projects, the most noteworthy of which include the silly comedy Role Models, the politically minded W. (in which she played First Lady Laura Bush), and Kevin Smith's hilarious Zack and Miri Make a Porno (in which she played a broke roommate-turned-porn star). She opened 2009 with a role in The Uninvited.
Elizabeth Banks' bathtub romp in The 40 Year Old Virgin scared Steve Carell away, but we remember it fondly. 2008 saw her get wild again as the sweet and sexy Miri, prompting the question: Who wouldn't want to make a porno with her? Through her wholesome looks and on-screen sincerity, she also made Laura Bush likable in W.

In 2009, we'll get to see the more villainous side of Elizabeth Banks when she plays a nurse with suspicious motives in the horror remake The Uninvited. No matter how mean she might act, though, we still find her adorable.

January Jones

2009-06-02T00:08:00.000-07:00

Nicknamed “Miss Thang,” the January-born and South Dakota-raised January Jones got her start as an Abercrombie & Fitch model before hitting the acting world. A role as a bank robber in the Bruce Willis-led Bandits earned her a shot as an angry lesbian porn star in 2003's Anger Management, after which she played Stifler's (Seann William Scott's) romantic interest in American Wedding.

January Jones now splits her time between television and movies thanks to roles in Tommy Lee Jones' award-winning The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, the football movie We Are Marshall and the critically lauded TV drama Mad Men. Earlier this month she was nominated for a Best Actress Golden Globe for her role in Mad Men.

January Jones has been on our radar since the Maxim Hot 100 of 2002 list. Her model features make her a winner with guys, including Ashton Kutcher, who dated her from 1998 to 2001. As model-turned-housewife Betty Draper on Mad Men, we've watched her grow stronger through the show's second season, with the third due in 2009.

January Jones also put her looks to manipulative use in 2008 as a sleek con artist for a guest spot on Law & Order. We'll see her incite more desire as a pretty young thing seducing British DJs in the 2009 movie The Boat That Rocked.

Milla Jovovich

2009-05-30T00:24:00.000-07:00

Milla Jovovich is an Ukrainian actress, supermodel, fashion designer, singer and public figure, who was on the cover of more than a hundred magazines, and starred in such films as The Fifth Element (1997), Ultraviolet (2006), and the 'Resident Evil' franchise.

She was born Milica Natasha Jovovich on December 17, 1975, in Kiev, Ukraine, Soviet Union (now Kiev, Ukraine). Her Montenegrinian father, Bogdan (Bogdanovich) Jovovich, was a medical doctor in Kiev. There he met her mother, Galina Jovovich (nee Loginova), a Russian-Ukrainian actress. At the age of 5, in 1981, Milla with her parents emigrated from the Soviet Union, moving first to London, UK, then to Sacramento, California, and eventually settled in Los Angeles. There her parents worked as house-cleaners for the household of director Brian de Palma. Her parents separated, and eventually divorced, because her father was arrested and spent several years in prison.

Young Milla Jovovich was brought up by her single mother in Los Angeles. In addition to her native Russian, she also learned French, German and English. However, in spite of her cosmopolitan background, Milla was ostracized by some of her classmates, as a kid who emigrated from the Soviet Union amidst the paranoia of the Cold War. Many emotional scars had affected her behavior, but she eventually emerged as a resilient, multi-talented, albeit rebellious and risk-taking girl. She was coached by her actress mother since her childhood, first at home, then studied music, ballet, and acting in Los Angeles. In 1984 she made her first career move, appearing on the cover of 'High Times' in the UK, at the age of 9.

She shot to international fame after she was spotted by the photographer Richard Avedon at the age of 11, and was featured in Revlon's "Most Unforgettable Women in the World" advertisements, and on the cover of the Italian fashion magazine 'Lei' which was her first cover shoot. She made her first professional model contract at the age of 12, and soon made it to the cover of 'The Face', 'Vogue', Cosmopolitan' and many other magazines. The total number of her magazine covers worldwide was over one hundred by 2004, and keeps counting. In 2004 she made 10,4 million dollars, becoming the highest paid supermodel in the world.

Milla Jovovich was torn between two professions, before she eventually became one of the very few supermodels who also developed a steady and serious film career. In 1988, at age 12, she made her film debut credited as Milla in a supporting role in Two Moon Junction (1988) by writer/director Zalman King. During the 1980s and early 1990s, she played several supporting roles as a teenage actress in film and on television, then starred in Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991). In 1997 she co-starred opposite Bruce Willis in the sci-fi blockbuster The Fifth Element (1997), then she starred as Joan of Arc, the title character in the eponymous costume drama. In the early 2000s, Milla had a few years of uncertainty in her acting career due to uneven quality of her films, as well as some hectic events in her private life. However, she managed to overcome her personal crisis. With the leading role as Alice in the 'Resident Evil' trilogy, she established herself as a film star, and her success in acting career eventually matched her success as a supermodel.

Outside of her acting and modeling professions, Milla Jovovich released several critically acclaimed musical recordings, making her debut as a singer, songwriter and musician with the 1994 release of 'The Divine Comedy'. She also gave several live performances with her band called 'Plastic Has Memory', and was featured on 'Hollywood Goes Wild'. Her vocal recordings appeared on soundtracks of several films. She has been writing music and lyrics to her song-demos, playing her guitar and sampling other sounds from her computer, and allowing free download and remix of her songs from her website.

For many years Milla Jovovich has been maintaining a healthier lifestyle, practicing yoga and meditation, trying to avoid junk food, and cooking for herself. Since she was a little girl, Milla has been writing a private diary, a habit she learned from her mother. She has been keeping a record of many good and bad facts of her life, her travels, her relationships, and all important ideas and events in her career, planning eventually to publish an autobiography. After dissolution of her two previous marriages, Milla Jovovich became engaged to film director Paul W.S. Anderson; their daughter, Ever Anderson, was born on November 3, 2007.

John Cusack

2009-05-29T01:31:00.001-07:00

John Cusack was born in Evanston, Illinois on June 26, 1966. He was the fourth of five children born to a math-teacher mother, and a filmmaker father. At the age of 8, he joined the Piven Theatre Workshop. By the time he was 12 he had a string of industry films, had acted radio spots and commercial voice overs a his belt. When he was 17 he got his first real acting break in the teen comedy "Class"(1983).

Biography and Career :

He remained busy the remainder of the '80's in hit's like "Sixteen Candles" with Molly Ringwald, "Better Off Dead", "The Sure Thing", "The Journey of Natty Gann," and Cameron Crowe's classic eighties movie, "Say Anything." John Cusack has said that of all the characters he had ever played, his character in "Say Anything" ,Lloyd Dobler , was the most like himself. His performance in the movie effectively confirmed that he was capable of carrying a film and better offers began to role in.

John Cusack won his first grown-up role in "The Grifters"(1990), where he played a small-time hustler caught between the attention of two rival women. His costars in the film Angelica Houston and Annette Benning both received Oscar nominations for their performance in the film but John Cusack had to settle for the rave reviews he received instead of a nomination.

Next, John Cusack appeared in "True colors" with James Spader and had a cameo role in "The Player". He has gone on to continue enjoying roles opposite box office champs. John Cusack has given wonderful performances in dramatic films such as 'True Colors", "Shadows and Fog", and "Map of the Human Heart" as well as comedic roles in "Money for Nothing" and "Bullets Over Broadway". In 1996 he co-starred with Al Pacino in "City Hall".

The next turning point in John Cusack's career was when he starred in "Grosse Point Blank" with Minni Driver. The movie was critically acclaimed and darkly funny and Cusack not only starred in the flick he also co-wrote and co-produced it. Recently he has appeared in "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," "Pushing Tin" and "Being John Malkovich." His latest film was in the lead role of Steven Frears' winning adaptation of Nick Hornby's cult-fave novel "High Fidelity" which Cusack also logged co-producing and writing credits for the flick.

Despite many fine performances, John Cusack hasn't launched into the realms of super-stardom. Not that he cares. With his taste for the offbeat combined with his continued loathing for celebrity and for semi-literate, sensationalist film-making. It is unlikely his feelings will be hurt if he doesn't command the lead in the type of conventional big budget flicks that keep the Tom Cruises of Hollywood in the $20 million club.

John Cusack's Dates :

Janice Dickinson

Lili Taylor (1988)

Uma Thurman (1992)

Susannah Melvoin (1992 - 1995)

Minnie Driver (1996)

Claire Forlani (1997 - 1998)

Alison Eastwood (1997)

Pamela Anderson (1998)

Neve Campbell (1998)

Meg Ryan (2002 - 2003)

Britney Spears (2003)

Gabriela Spanic (2004)

Rebecca Romijn (2004)

Alexandra Kerry (2004)

Sheryl Crow (2006)

Gary Oldman

2009-05-29T01:30:00.001-07:00

Gary Oldman (full name Leonard Gary Oldman) was born on Friday, March 21, 1958 in New Cross, London, England. He is a famous actor, producer and director.

Biography and Career:

When he was a child Gary loved to play the piano and sing but he gave this up for an acting career. Although he became a successful actor, Oldman never forgot his love for music and managed to combine his hobbies some of his movies like Track 29 and Immortal Beloved. He studied at Rose Bruford College where he also managed to get a B.A. in Drama.

After graduating in 1979, Gary started playing in various theatre plays and worked in theatre for the next eight years. Although his acting career started in '79 Oldman got hist first leading role in 1986 in "Sid & Nancy", a motion picture which made it poss ible for him to work at Hollywood.

He later played in Prick Up Your Ears (1987), The Firm (1988) and Track 29 (1988) having real-life portrayal roles. JFK, True Romance, Jesus, Lost in Space, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Batman Begins, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Unborn are some other movies in which he played. Oldman also won more than 22 awards and nominations for his roles in different movies.

General appearance:

- 5' 10" (178 cm) height, blue eyes and brown - light hair.

Being born on 03/21, Gary is an aries and has a slim body.

Gary Oldman attended the BA Theatre Arts, Rose Bruford School of Speech and Drama (1979).

Gary dated Lesley Manville and amongst other famous relationships was Uma Thurman.

Nicolas Cage

2009-05-29T01:29:00.000-07:00

Nicolas Cage (birth name Nicolas Kim Coppola) was born on Tuesday, January 07, 1964 in Long Beach, California, U.S. He is a famous actor.

Biography and Career:

He was born to August Coppola and Joy Vogelsang, a professor of literature and a dancer and choreographer. He has another two siblings and spent his childhood mostly in Long Beach.

Since he received his first role in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" Nicolas has played in a wide range of genres and received a lot of fame and respect from his fellow actors and not only.

He has received many awards and nominations during his career, including Academy Award for which he was nominated twice and won once for his role in "Leaving Las Vegas".

Bangkok Dangerous, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Next, Ghost Rider, World Trade Center, Lord of War, National Treasure, Gone in Sixty Seconds are some of the best known movies in which he played.

General appearance:

- 6' (183 cm) height, blue eyes and brown - dark hair.

Being born on 01/07, Nicolas is a capricorn and has a bodybuilder body.

Nicolas Cage had studied at Beverly Hills High School, Beverly Hills, CA (dropped out) and then Nicolas attended the UCLA School of Theater, Film and and Television.

Nicolas dated Uma Thurman and amongst other famous relationships was Patricia Arquette.

Nicolas is also known as: Nicholas Cage.

Uma Thurman

2009-05-29T01:26:00.000-07:00

Uma Thurman (Uma Karuna Thurman) was born on Wednesday, April 29, 1970 and she is a famous actress.

General appearance:

- 6' (183 cm) height, green eyes and blonde hair.

Being born on Apr 29, Uma is a Taurus and she has a slim body.

Uma Thurman studied at Northfield Mount Hermon School, Northfield, MA (dropped out).

Uma dated Don Johnson and amongst other amorous encounters was Robert Plant.

Holly Madison

2009-05-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

Holly Madison (birthname Holly Cullen) was born on December 23, 1979 in Astoria, Oregon, USA. She is a model, actress and she is one of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends.

Biography and Career :

She attended the Portland State University.

While being a Hawaiian Tropic model she was spotted by one of Hefner's friends and got invited to a Mansion's party. That's how she met Hefner, becaming his girlfriend. She is the only girl who lives in his room, the other two have separate bedrooms. She appears in the television show, "The Girls Next Door", a show that presents the life of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends.

Before being a model she worked at Hooters. She also appeared in the Playboy magazine. Some of the television shows in which she was seen are The Sharon Osbourne Show, The Tyra Bank s Show, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch and Larry King Live.

Trivia :

- Height: 170 cm
- Measurements: 36-23-36
- Two of her favorite books are "The Great Gatsby" and "Vanity Fair".
- She says Hugh is her soul mate.

Quotes :

- "I don't get jealous of other girls, because I was [...] raised in a cloning lab to be the perfect woman for Hugh M. Hefner, so, other than the fact that my I.Q.'s probably a little higher than he would like, I have nothing to worry about."

- "I look back on my middle/high school days and see an Alaskan fish out of water who wasn't good at socializing or fitting in."

- "Well, when your boyfriend dates other girls the age difference is the last thing on your mind."

Filmography :

- Robot Chicken (1 episode, 2006)
- Scary Movie 4 (2006)
- Curb Your Enthusiasm (1 episode, 2005)
- Entourage (1 episode, 2005)
- The Last Broadcast (1998)
- Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show (1 episode, 2006)
- The Girls Next Door (25 episodes, 2005-2006)
- The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2 episodes, 2006)
- Amazon Fishbowl with Bill Maher (1 episode, 2006)
- E! True Hollywood Story (1 episode, 2006)
- The Tyra Banks Show (2 episodes, 2005-2006)
- The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch (1 episode, 2005)
- Playboy: Hef's Halloween Spooktacular (2005) (V)
- Viva la Bam (1 episode, 2004)
- The Bernie Mac Show (1 episode, 2004)
- The Sharon Osbourne Show (1 episode, 2004)
- Doggy Fizzle Televizzle (1 episode, 2003)
- The Surreal Life (1 episode, 2003)
- Cribs (1 episode, 2002).

Amanda Holden

2009-05-28T06:05:00.000-07:00

Amanda Holden (Amanda Louise Holden) was born on Tuesday, February 16, 1971 in Bishop's Waltham and she is a famous actress from England. Her birth name is Amanda Louise Holden, and she has a younger sister, Debbie. Being born on Feb 16, Amanda is an Aquarius. After a period of 3 years of training at London's Mountview Theater School she made her debut in 1990 at the age of 19 as an unsuccessful contestant on Cilla Black's dating game show "Blind Date".

Amanda has appeared in several stage musicals and in 2004 was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theater Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in the West End production of Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Amanda dated Les Dennis (husband) and amongst other amorous encounters was Neil Morrissey (boyfriend).

Why is she famous

Amanda Louise Holden is well known for her roles as Sarah Trevanion on Wild at Heart. She is also notable for being a judge on Britain's Got Talent.

Here is one of here famous quotes

"I had a weekend job in a shoe shop to get me through college. I had a grant, but when you study in London you need as much money as you can get. I also once sprayed perfume in Boots for a week, but I couldn't stand the smell."

Kay Parker

2009-05-28T05:54:00.000-07:00

Kay Parker was born on August 28, 1944 in Birmingham, England. She is a famous actress. She is also known as Jill Jackson. She won 2 awards in her career. Kay started her career as an actress with the famous television series "Howie's Adventure" which was released in 1962.

She acted in the movie "Casanova" in which she played the role of a Secretary in 1977. She also acted in the movie "Sexworld" in which she played the role of Millicent in 1978. Kay got her fame from the movie "Untamed" in which she played the role of a Journalist in 1978. She played the role of Mrs. Bunn in the movie "Downstairs and Upstairs" which was released in 1980. She acted in the movie "Chorus Call" in which she played the role of Mona in 1979.

After that she acted in the movie "Taboo" which was released i n 1980. Her movie "The Dancer" is one of the major project of her career. Her last appearance was in the movie "Merchants of Venus" which was released in 1998.

Life in Brief:

- Being born on Aug 28, Kay is a Virgo.
- her ethnicity: White.

Kay dated Joey Silvera (love affair) and amongst other amorous encounters was John Leslie (love affair).

Aria Giovanni

2009-05-28T05:51:00.001-07:00

Aria Giovanni was born on November 3, 1977 in Los Angeles, California and she is a nude model who was Penthouse Pet for the month of September 2000.

Biography and Career :

Aria Giovanni was born in Los Angeles and by high school she was living in nearby Orange County. Growing up Aria Giovanni recounts that she was quite shy, with only one friend in high school, but that she did very well in her classes. According to her website, she did so well that she was able to graduate and head to college by the age of 16.

She attended college for several years, waitressing and tutoring in science and math on the side, when she decided modelling might be an easier way to make good money. Aria Giovanni started answering newspaper ads in October, 1999, and soon began appearing on various amateur pornography websites such as Amateur Pink, Busty Amateurs, and Seductive Amateurs.

In 2000, Aimee Sweet introduced Aria Giovanni to glamour photographer Suze Randall, who in late May of that year shot photos of Aria Giovanni which appeared in the September issue of Penthouse magazine.
At the same time, she also appeared on the web site Bomis, posing clothed for a Ferrari giveaway contest.

Aria Giovanni's professional modeling career began when she was introduced to renowned photographer, Suze Randall. The pictures were shot for Penthouse magazine and the editors noticed Aria's appeal immediately! They decided to put her on the cover and make the her the centerfold of the September 2000 anniversary issue. It's been quite a ride since then, as Aria has worked for every major modeling entity, including Playboy and Mystique. She also appeared on the TV show Shipmates in 2001.

In 2001, Aria Giovanni played Monica Snatch in the movie Survivors Exposed, a parody of the Survivor television series.

Aria Giovanni has also appeared in bondage, fetish (here most notably working with Ken Marcus ) and artistic photography. Aria Giovanni has gained particular respect for being among relatively few large-chested models working in the field who have not undergone cosmetic surgery.

Aria Giovanni has worked extensively with Andrew Blake, appearing in Girlfriends, Aria, Blonds & Brunettes, Justine, Adriana, and Naked Diva. Aria Giovanni has appeared in both softcore and hardcore pornographic movies, although most of her lesbian scenes involve purely implied sexual contact.

She is currently married to John Lowery (better known as John5), formerly of the band Marilyn Manson.

Filmography :

Notable TV Guest Appearances :

Shipmates playing herself, November 16, 2001
Howard Stern playing herself, October 30 2002
Wild On! playing herself in episode: "Wild on Hollywood Nights" 2003
Rock Theatre Television playing herself in episode: "DragonCon 2003" (episode # 1.2) November 2, 2003

Aria Giovanni Videos :

Meridians of Passion (Aria Giovanni & Old Pueblo Distribution)
A day in the Life of Aria Giovanni (Mystique)
Models of Mystique # 1 (Mystique)
Models of Mystique # 7 (Mystique)
Models of Mystique # 9 (Mystique)
Lingerie : the secret art of seduction
Mystical Journeys (Mystique Magazine)
Mystique presents H2Ohh ! (Mystique)
Aria Giovanni Photos of Mark Daugh (Mystique)
Aria (Andrew Blake)
Justine (Andrew Blake)
Girlfriends (Andrew Blake)
Naked Diva (Andrew Blake)
Adriana (Andrew Blake)
Blond & Brunettes (Andrew Blake)
Aria Giovanni of Mac Daddy ( Stars )
The girls of Penthouse # 4 (Penthouse)
The Thrill Seekers (Penthouse)
Pet of the Year PLAY-OFF 2003 (Penthouse)
Pet of the Year 2003 (Penthouse)
Veronika (Danni)
Virtual Lap Dancers (Danni)
Virtual Lap Dancers 2.0 (Danni)
Erotic Idols of Suze Randall (Suze)
Beach Blanquet Malibu - California Dreams
Aria and Friends
Survivors Exposed
13 Erotic Ghosts (Retro Media 2000)
Matrix Centerfolds :(old Pueblo 2004)
Starz (Macdaddy Entertainment 2003 )
Kokudoh Oh 4 DISC BOX SET Voice of aria
Digital Dream Girls #1 (J.S.Hicks)
Chloroformed Pin-Up Girls! (2004) (V)
Foot Worship Adventures! (2004) (V)
Bubblegirls: Aria Giovanni Danni's Exotic Beauties (Danni 2005)
Busty Dream Tales (Danni 2005)
Mystique Hottest women on Earth 2 (2005)
Mystique Natural Nude Beauties ( Mystique 2005)
Wild Exotics Uncovered Contest (Hotbody.com 2005)
Alabama Jones (Digital Entertainment 2005)
Nikki Nova's Sex on the Beach (Digital Entertainment 2005)
Behind the Fantasy (Mystique Magazine 2005)

The Fog of War

2009-05-28T05:27:00.000-07:00

This brilliant work by director Morris is the stuff of life. And death. It arouses the most basic moral and immoral questions of being human through an enormously complex and yet simple man, Robert Strange McNamara. It seems no coincidence, his middle name, as we get to know him in all his cleverness and contradictions. Morris subtly illuminates, literally through McNamara's eyes, what it means to have power over life and death. Like God. There is something almost spiritual in McNamara's eyes, edited against searing images of, well, graphs, statistics, memoranda, bursting firebombs and nuclear mushrooms, almost all rarely seen-before footage. The eyes are the soul of this film - McNamara's are a combination of supreme confidence and extreme doubt. But not only his eyes - for example, we see President Kennedy's eyes frozen in the lens as he tells the nation of imminent nuclear war in 1962, a look that would make a Marine shiver. This new interview technique ("interrotron" ) draws us into what? War? Peace? Honor? Life? Power? Evil?
Born 85 years ago, McNamara is the quintessential man of his time, what Brokaw called the greatest generation, a sobriquet this documentary underscores. In McNamara's words he deplored the sorrow and pity of the four great wars of his lifetime; the trenches in France; the nuclear and indiscriminate firebombing of innocent Japanese; the debacle in Korea; the flaming jungles of Vietnam. His command of statistics is breathtaking. But it is the eyes that reveal an inner truth, the precise opposite of his concise, rational words - his 11 "lessons". We see a man who never found himself in harm's way. We see eyes so ironically blinded by a circa 1918 vision of duty and honor that, though he loathed the horrifics of Vietnam, he was compelled to allow his true judgment to go unexpressed until nearly 60,000 Americans were dead. He was at once perhaps the most powerful man in the world and its most despicable. It is easy to see why a brilliant young President Kennedy would choose someone as Defense Secretary who seemed so like himself, but tragically without the courage. And why, with Kennedy's death, McNamara by sheer ambition and brilliance would ascend to the very pinnacle of power.

Yet, I couldn't hate this guy. Perhaps the most telling moment is McNamara's clear devastation at Kennedy's assassination 41 years ago, again told in his eyes and a rare, emotional choking voice. So it's difficult to blame him for all those deaths he might have prevented -- McNamara genuinely believed he was doing the right thing for his Presidents: through an obsessive sense of duty and loyalty. Now that his day of legacy approaches, he expresses criticism over the actions of others -- General LeMay and President Johnson are the favored targets. But McNamara cannot quite bring himself to admit his own mistakes of enormous proportions. Yet it's quite clear that he was one of only two men who could have ended the 7-year slaughter (of his term in office). Many may find that failure a reason to despise the man. I found it just human.

This film offers up no easy answers (certainly not his 11 "lessons'), but more importantly raises many fundamental questions. Philip Glass' elegiac, edgy scoring perfectly meshes with this thriller. An impressive and important contribution to understanding our nation's ambivalent past.

Why We Fight

2009-05-28T05:26:00.000-07:00

With great pain in my heart, for some time now I have been forced to admit that the United States government is no longer a power for good in the world. This film confirms that and explains why: the increasing hegemony of the military-industrial-congressional complex. The film brilliantly details the problems facing democracy today caused by this behemoth. I wish it had been equally as brilliant in suggesting a way out and a solution, but the first step in treating a disease is to accurately diagnose it.

Shortly after 9/11 I became aware once more of the increasing influence of the military industry and militarism in American life when Bush proclaimed that we were at war with the forces of terrorism. I found this alarming in part because it was obvious that the act perpetuated by bin Laden's men was not an instance of state-sponsored terrorism, and therefore there was no army or even nation with which we could engage. It was very similar to the terrorist killings of the Israeli Olympic Team at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. The Israelis properly understood that the correct reaction was what was in fact a long, painstaking police investigation. They knew there was no "war" and no army to attack. I was deeply upset by Bush's declaration of war partly because I feared (correctly, it turned out) that he would engage on a series of military adventures that were largely irrelevant to 9/11 and partly because it meant that the U.S. would not be focused on actually dealing with the terrorists (something else I was unfortunately correct about).

What we have seen since 9/11 is the intense and ongoing engagement of America's military in further attempts to dictate world policy through militarism and war. Although this has never previously been an effective tool of government as seen in hosts of previous world empires, and in fact has always signaled the beginning of the end of the predominance of a nation in world affairs (Paul Kennedy's marvelous THE RISE AND FALL OF THE GREAT POWERS examined this in 1987 and predicted then that America's expanding militarism would begin America's international decline), the Bush administrations Neocon foreign policy is yet another instance of people being unwilling to profit from the lessons of history.

This film tells several stories. On one level it tells the story of the growing and expanding military industry that first developed in the wake of WW II and continued throughout the Cold War. On another it tells of the increasing complicity of government and congress in allowing this industry to control and shape national policies. Although America kept no large standing army until the advent of WW II, we now always maintain as a matter of course an inconceivably vast military. As they point out in the film, over half of the money spent by Congress is on the military (some doubting this will look up the budget approved by the Congress each year and see that military spending takes up usually between 28% and 35% of the annual budget, but this ignores discretionary spending, almost all of which goes to the military, and which is the reason why we spend more on the military than all other programs combined). Whatever else one wants to say about the Founders, they clearly never envisioned a situation where most of the nation's resources was going to maintaining a vast army, navy, and air force.

The documentary also deals with the necessity of an aggressive military posture due to this vast military industry. It would be difficult to justify keeping a vast military apart from any actual military conflicts, which explains why we deploy our military in so many petty military operations, and in the case of Iraq, a large one, though against a weak foe. This of course leads to vast profits for the military industry, and as Chalmers Johnson brilliantly remarks in the film, "When war becomes that profitable, you're going to see a lot more of it." Right now it appears that the Bush people have wrongly estimated how much militarism the general population will tolerate, but this is apt to cause merely a temporary lull, not a permanent retreat from attempting military solutions to political situations.

The most upsetting part of the film deals with the complicity of Congress in tolerating this situation. While our elected representatives ought to be leading the movement to reduce the size and influence of the military in our lives, they are in fact protecting it. The film deals with weapons systems that intentionally have parts built in every state, so that representatives from every state will support them in order to protect the jobs the contracts bring. What distresses me is what we lose by devoting so much money to the military. Any sane individual knows that military--as opposed to terrorist, which are not the same things--threats to the US are currently close to nonexistent. Yet we build this massive military that only causes harm to the rest of the world and ill will and hatred to the US. In the many clips of Eisenhower, he at one point mentions that single bombers equal in cost two schools or a hospital or any of a number of other social services. I look in awe at the remarkable system of social services that has been created in the European Union nations, a system that results in a standard of living that surpasses what one finds in the United States. Although the United States has a far larger economy, why are we not able to have quality education for all Americans? Why no universal healthcare? Why do we not have jobs programs to guarantee employment to all Americans? Why are American workers restricted to only two or three weeks of vacation a year, while many Europeans get six to eight? It is because we devote such a vast amount of our economy to the military. Europeans, on the other hand, devote a comparatively small amount.

I consider this a must-see documentary for every American. And I hope that we can do something to resist the beast. To be honest, I don't think there is much that we can do and my fear is that what we will see is no reductions in the size of the military until the inevitable economic collapse of the United States. That was what happened to all the other empires in history after their constantly expanding military led to their end. I see no reason why it will end differently for the United States. I think the shift in power in the 21st century will go towards the E.U. and China. The only hope for the U.S is a halt to the vast military expansion. The film ends with a woman who had retired as a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force after becoming disenchanted with the campaign of misinformation that preceded the invasion of Iraq. She expresses the hope that people will just start refusing to go into the military. I personally believe that Americans currently have a patriotic duty not to join the military. Excepting internal collapse due to the increased pressures of an expanding military and the worldwide hatred of our nation that our military escapades creates, I see no other hope except for us to simply refuse to go down this path any further.

The Corporation

2009-05-28T05:25:00.001-07:00

This is an extraordinary film about the creation of the American corporation, its legal organizational model, its global economic dominance and its psychopathic tendencies, and its incredible ambition to influence every aspect of culture in its unrelenting pursuit of profit.

The Corporation was spawned from Joel Balkan's in depth book, "The Corporation: A Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power". (Due to be released in March this year) The film and book begins in the 18th century, in the establishment of the 14th Amendment. Initially the 14th Amendment was designed after the Civil War to give ex slaves' legal rights, like any other citizen of the United States, but through a maze of legal precedents, the business corporation organization model was now deemed a "legal person" with all the civil rights accorded to a citizen. This highly absurd precedent has paved the way for corporations to literarily get away with murder, because a "corporation" is not an individual that you can put in jail. In effect, a corporation has no moral or social obligations; their only obligation is the pursuit of profit. This film offers numerous examples of unethical practices resulting in death for many people, and because of their status under the 14th Amendment, and endless legal loopholes, have gotten away with terrible crimes against humanity and the environment with no more than a fine, a mere slap on the wrist.

As the law treats corporations as "persons", Balkan thought it appropriate to put the various behaviours of these companies under psychological examination. What this psychological study illustrated is that corporations, as "persons" behave and display the symptoms of the clinical psychopath. A psychopath typically does not have a social conscience, is guilt free after committing heinous acts, and will destroy anything or anybody that prevents them from attaining the object of their particular obsession - in this case, the relentless pursuit of profit.

This documentary took several years to produce with over 650 hours of footage, director(s), Jennifer Abbot and Mark Achbar, had to chisel down this amazing amount of material into a comprehensible film. What is most astounding is the range of people interviewed for this film, that argue from all sides of the "corporation issue": Ira Jackson, Ray Anderson - CEO of Interface, the world's largest carpet manufacturer; Noam Chomsky, Richard Grossman, Howard Zinn, Michael Moore, Milton Freidman - Noble Prize winning economist; Jeremy Rifkin - President, Foundation of Economic Trends; Dr. Robert Hare - Consultant to the FBI on psychopaths, and many more individuals from all sides of the debate.

When Balkan wrote his book and then collaborated with Mark Achbar to produce this film, what they did not want was the film to appear as just some left-wing diatribe, attacking the corporations, but to illustrate to people how the corporation began, how they have evolved and what they could well turn into if the people do not become involved in the democratic process, ensuring our governments take back the reigns of power.

After viewing this film, it becomes all too evident that these large corporations have too much power, whose mandate is not the common good of the people, and who will go to any lengths, legally and otherwise, in the pursuit of profit and the bottom line.

I believe this is one of the best and most important documentary films to be made in many years.

Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price

2009-05-28T05:24:00.001-07:00

'Wal Mart, The High Cost Of Low Price' is filled with first hand testimonials and some hard-fact figures that will help in validating your hatred of this greedy giant, and visually exposes those in other countries who are ruthlessly used as slaves to produce the cheap products you purchase when you patronize this monolith.

These "jobs" provided to the labor forces of India, China, Bangladesh, and Mexico are not 'good wage' jobs even for third world standards. The people are overworked, underpaid, and forced to work in sub-human conditions. These human beings make 13 to 17 cents and hour, and work 10 to 18 hour days without breaks, all so you can have that $1.49 blouse.

Exposed in this film are the squalid, rent controlled apartments in China, provided by the company, that put to shame the most rancid ghetto house in your hometown. And if the employee chooses not to live in these rat-infested housing developments, the rent is still deducted from their wages. Wal-Mart has managed to lower the work standards set for these hard-pressed, low wage, third-world countries that other companies are going to follow, sucking down the standards of working all across the world.

The manager of the Mexico factories went on a tour to make sure that working conditions were humane. He was fired when he reported that the conditions were intolerably inhumane. In his own words, he didn't think retaliation would be brought against him for doing his job.

If you think it was a good thing that America abolished slavery, then think again before you go into a Wal-Mart. Just because the US is no longer "importing" slaves, doesn't make it right to continue to use slavery in other countries to produce high profits for personal gain. Wal-Mart's practices are no different than bringing slaves over from Africa to pick our cotton, it's still a cheap way for the rich to get richer at the expense of human blood and sweat.

Intermittently inserted in the film is a speech made by Lee Scott to the high-end employees and stockholders of Wal-Mart, which sounds very much like an Amway pep-talk. Lee Scott's earnings for 2005 were $27,207,799.00. The average Wal-Mart hourly employee's was $13,861.00.

Interesting facts: After 9/11, the Walton's built themselves an underground bunker in case of another terrorist attack, costing millions of dollars that should have went into paying back the Government for having to subsidize their employee's un-affordable medical benefits.
The Walton family gave less than 1% of their wealth to charity. Bill Gates, not even a nice man himself, gave 58%.
The "Critical Need" fund, set up to assist Wal-Mart employees in emergencies, received five million dollars from Wal-Mart employees (making $13,861.00 annually) and only $6,000.00 from the Walton family, who made, collectively, 102 billion.
Wal-Mart actually had a commercial campaign about "buying American" while all their products come from sweatshops overseas.

Wal-Mart has refused to address crime statistics that show an upswing of violent crime in their large, remote, under-lit and un-protected parking lots, putting their customers in danger and taxing the local law enforcement. The State of California alone paid out 80 Million dollars in medical benefits to poverty-level Wal-Mart employees because the 102 Billion Dollar Walton family does not want to give their "associates" fair medical benefits.

There are many ways to hate Wal-Mart and its ilk, and many books out on the subject, but I recommend watching this DVD so you can actually see the slave workers and conditions overseas that these selfish billionaires exploit without passing down their profit to the "small people" who helped build their empire. The presentation could have used a little more snappiness, and the DVD starts out very slow, but keep watching and you will eventually see the monster peeking out from behind your curtain.
Stop shopping at Wal-Mart. Just stop. You don't need their cheap goods that fall apart two days after you bring them home, and it feels good to know that you make a difference by not supporting slavery. Enjoy!

Who Killed the Electric Car?

2009-05-28T05:23:00.001-07:00

A great film about another sorry episode in the history of America's automobile and energy industry. Set as a "Who-Done-It", the film chronicles how short sighted automakers (especially GM) develop great electric cars in response to the California ZEV mandate only to do everything in their power - from suing the state, making ridiculous ads, creating a red-tape filled lease application process - to kill them. Consumers buy bigger and bigger vehicles (whether they need them or not). Government officials and staffers bow to the pressure of intense lobbying, and conflicts of interest. The sad fate of most of the EVs produced during the late '90s to 2002 is revealed.

GM, especially, comes off as incredibly vindictive. What automaker ever tracked down every car of any model and crushed them (not the Corvair, Edsel, etc.)? Even after loyal drivers pleaded to keep them, offering to buy the last remaining EV1s with junk titles at lease buyout prices, GM went out of its way to ensure that the EV1 was history.

The passion of GM's EV specialist Chelsea Sexton for the EV1 makes her the star of the movie. One can only imagine what the engineers who designed the EV1 felt when their babies were being crushed.

But the movie ends on a hopeful note. We may never see the EV1 again, but vehicles using electric drive systems, either as full EVs (which are coming from several start-up companies) or plug-in hybrids, must inevitably roam the roads. The upward trend in gasoline prices, the effects of global warming, the inherent efficiency of electric drive trains, the continued improvement of battery technology, and the upcoming reevaluation of the ZEV Mandate guarantee it.

Super Size Me

2009-05-28T05:21:00.001-07:00

Supersize Me felt to me like two movies interwoven together. First off, and most compellingly, this is a documentary about the fast food industry and its role in the obesity epidemic in this country. Although it's an angle most of us have probably already been exposed to, the movie does a good job illustrating the insidious way that the fast food industry pedals its products to the masses and infiltrates all aspects of our American culture. In particular, Morgan Spurlock does an impressive job illustrating the pervasiveness of marketing towards children. We see what today's parents are up against if we try to teach our kids healthy habits. Throughout the movie, we see repeated references to the famous lawsuit in which McDonalds was sued for making people obese. I imagine most people probably have a similar experience to mine, in which I started out thinking such a lawsuit was laughably preposterous, but by the end of the movie I could actually see the logic in it. I wasn't exactly what point he was trying to make with the graphic footage of the gastric bypass surgeries. If it was suppose to gross viewers out, the reality is that any surgery could do that if shown in that detail. I hope it didn't have the effect of discouraging anyone from pursing a gastric bypass, which happens to be a wonderful operation that has helped many people turn their lives around.

The second thread of the movie is the human experiment, in which our protagonist goes 30 days eating only McDonalds food. For me, this part felt like bad reality TV to me. Although posed a scientific experiment, it is clear our narrator knows from the start what direction it will go. For one thing, we see his vegan girlfriend reprove his plans. From even the first couple of days, we get endless shots of him looking at the food and telling us how gross it looks, or telling us how sick he feels. The shock this study, if you can call a sample size of one person with an agenda a study, is that he actually gets even more physically ill than anyone anticipated. Well, he gains weight and has an elevation of his liver enzymes. His doctors appropriately try to coach their patient into reverting back to a healthier diet, putting as grim a spin on it as possible. Elevated liver enzymes however are the normal response of a healthy liver to an acute insult. It's going abruptly from a low fat diet to a massively high-fat diet that causes it. If he wanted to make the case that this was a dire lethal reaction to fast food, we could have checked the liver enzymes of any of the characters we meet in the movie who habitually eat fast food. He would have found them to be mostly normal, since the bump in liver enzymes is a function of the acute change, not the fast food in and of itself. His doctors make the analogy to alcoholics, who get elevated liver enzymes from the insult of alcohol to their livers. But, in fact, it is when an alcoholic binges and doesn't get a corresponding rise in liver enzymes that there is evidence of end-stage liver disease (Morgan's internists hopefully understand this but are either doing their job by trying to scare him, possibly hamming it up for the cameras, and/or the interactions are edited for maximum melodrama and don't reflect the content of the actual visits.) We even see that Morgan's liver enzymes are returning to normal by the last set of blood tests, even though he is still on the diet at that point, but little is made of that in the movie, because it doesn't support the premise that eating all fast food for a month can kill you. His chest pain, which looked like an anxiety attack, and his other physical symptoms such as headaches are hard to interpret, especially in someone with an agenda to get as sick as possible. Then we get to see footage of Morgan on the phone with his mother, her only half joking that she would donate part of her liver if he needs it, and footage of Morgan on the phone with his girlfriend practically mourning his heroic and fated death. Too much. The informational content is important enough without watering it down with the intellectual equivalent of fast food.

My personal Amazon-confession: I love McDonald's, but I do feel gross afterwards. One of my professors in Med school was fond of saying "there's no good or bad foods, just good or bad diets." The McGridle really puts that sentiment to the test, but I would still agree with it. I always hoped he would slip one day and say "there's no good or bad food, just good or bad people," but it never happened.

Overall, a good movie, I'm glad I saw it. The extras don't add much in particular but still a good DVD. For me, personally, I could have watched much more of the documentary footage and skipped the "reality" melodramatics of the 30 day experiment. However, that experiment was probably the gimmick that got the movie financed, publicized, and accessible to a mass audience, so maybe it was necessary from a practical point of view.

An Inconvenient Truth

2009-05-28T05:20:00.001-07:00

Ok, let me get this straight. They made a documentary about Al Gore giving a lecture? About global warming? Okay, I'm already asleep. Snore. Yawn. Why don't I just stay home and save the money I would spend to take a nap.

All kidding aside, if you know anything about Al Gore, you know this is a subject he is extremely committed to and passionate about. Very passionate. And after five years of some of the worst, most harmful environmental policy to ever come out of Washington, DC, there is no better time for "An Inconvenient Truth".

I know many consider Gore to be less than a captivating speaker. But in "An Inconvenient Truth" he comes across as a different man because he is so passionate and committed to the subject of global warming, he comes across as a different man. Informed, knowledgeable, conversational and persuasive, if he were like this during the election, there would be no Florida Recount in our history books. Okay, so that didn't happen. But the result is that Gore, much like Clinton and Carter, are trying to do something with their status to help better the world. Gore has long been an environmental advocate and it shows. He knows the facts inside and out; people have provided him with statistics, graphs, charts and more, and he uses them in this presentation.

As Gore states, he has given the lecture more than a thousand times around the globe. Because of this, he is extremely comfortable addressing large audiences, giving them a lot of scientific research to digest. Remarkably, he makes it easy to understand, pointing out key facts, walking us through some of the more difficult to understand ideas and problems. He also knows when the audience needs a break and interjects humor here and there. At one point, he shows a spoof of an educational film animated by the people at "The Simpsons". At others, he makes fun of himself and his political ambitions and woes.

Davis Guggenheim, the filmmaker, has apparently presented Gore's lecture virtually intact. As Gore moves around on a dais, clicking for the next slide, he makes persuasive points. But he also reaches a couple of key points. When this happens, the filmmakers smartly pull back from the lecture, giving us a portrait of a few key moments in Gore's life. The argument he makes in his lecture is persuasive, intelligent and well thought out, but because we learn more about the man making the presentation, these points have even more resonance. Not only do these moments give us more details about Gore, they also provide a respite from the scientific data, allowing us to absorb what we have learned.

At one point, Gore states that the data is irrefutable and it appears to be. Remarkably, the filmmakers show footage of various people attacking Gore, or claiming the data he is presenting is not based in fact. Yet, we can see it for ourselves, right in front of us. And I am sure Gore could easily provide a bibliography of resources for us to check out all of the facts he uses. What would drive some of these people to attack Gore and this data? Some of the clips are from Gore's days as a Senator and Vice President, so some of that can be contributed to political parties trying to one-up each other. But currently, Gore does not hold political office, yet the current administration seems intent on giving every break to the worst polluters in the country, allowing them to make as much money as possible while they pollute and pollute and pollute. Gore shows a slide about this argument. Apparently, there is the thought good environmental policy will impact the economy. How do these same people explain the relationship between Toyota, Honda, Ford and GM? Toyota and Honda manufacture vehicles with far better gas mileage than their competitors and are much more successful because of it. An argument Gore makes very convincingly.

Thankfully, Gore stays away from political bias. More or less. A couple of times, he makes funny remarks about his failed run for the presidency, or he makes a pointed comment about the current administration, but by and large his comments are directed at us and what we should do to save our planet. The film isn't void of bias, but there could certainly have been a lot more. The fact the filmmaker and Gore showed some restraint makes his presentation even more persuasive.

The film ends with a series of `calls to action' as the credits begin. Frankly, these aren't needed because Gore's arguments are so convincing. But they are effective. As one call to action states "Urge everyone you know to see this film." Well, folks, that's what I am doing. Go and see this film. We need to do something before it is too late to do anything. Hopefully, this film will one day be viewed as a historical document of the beginning of a great change and not as a horror film.

Fahrenheit 9/11

2009-05-28T05:19:00.002-07:00

There must be a reason why Fahrenheit 9/11 is ranked #1 on Amazon and I can mention a few right here:

1. The movie pulls no punches. It delivers a serious message with verifiable facts in a way that moves people to tears and laughter, seconds apart from each other.

2. The movie is controversial. It tells the story of how our current President and his administration have ties to oil interests in the Middle East, an old hatred of Saddam ("tried to kill my Daddy"), and a heretofore unmatched ability to make the wrong decisions based on preconceived and premeditated agendas without considering the costs in human lives or human dollars.

3. Tears. This movie could reverse a drought with the amount of tears it has evoked so far. The power of anyone watching this movie to be moved to tears (and you will, trust me) is a powerful statement of it's importance and relevance right now. We've all seen the destruction in New York City but we haven't ever understood some of the reasons it was allowed to happen, or why we find ourselves in a war in the wrong country, with no connections WHATSOEVER to the terrorists that brought 9/11 into our lives.

Bowling for Columbine

2009-05-28T05:19:00.000-07:00

I'll be fair first. I don't always like Michael Moore. While some of Stupid White Men made me laugh, other parts were offensive to me, particularly a chapter devoted to his own foriegn policy "ideas." His next film is going to be called Farenheit 911, and he's said that he's determined to release it in October 2004, right before the election. I'm not a fan of Bush, but I worry it may be hard to sit through a movie that was created entirely to slander someone.

That's why I like Bowling for Columbine, because I sense honest intentions behind it. Moore comes from Flint, Michigan, a place where a little girl was shot by her classmate shortly before Bowling for Columbine was shot. He's sad to see these happening to our nation's children, and he wants to know why. The most valuable part of this film, at least in my opinion, is how it systematically refutes "explanations" for gun violence.
-Charlton Heston blames it on a "mixed ethnicity," but Moore claims Canada had an even bigger mix, complete with a lower crime rate.

-Violent video games? Japan has much more violent games than we do, and their homicide rate is much lower as well.

-Violent history? Germany was once home to the Nazi party, and they have a lower rate than us.

One possibility he raises that I always found very reasonable was the description of enormous high school prssure that was discussed in his interview with Matt Stone. Kids are cruel to each other growing up, and I think the reason those Columbine kids snapped was because of years and years of teasing by their classmates.

Conservatives seem very intimidated by Bowling for Columbine, I'm not sure why. It doesn't seem so dangerous to me. Do you think that a movie would be enough to ever change the policy of the president? Anyone who heard the "with us or with the terrorists" speech should know the answer to that. But then again, some of these people who flip out over the Dixie Chicks or Tim Robbins stating their opinions never seem to be able to grasp that these isolated incidents of free speech are pretty harmless.

Moore is often called an Anti-American, which is a term I think is overused and rarely appropriate. Osama Bin Laden is an Anti-American. Moore would not like to see American destroyed, he would like to be a place with less violent deaths and discontent citizens. Moore doesn't hate America, he loves America. The free speech he's grown up with has given him the opportunity to write his books and make his movies. He is certainly anti-Bush, but why should that make someone anti-American? I'm sure plenty of conservatives were anti-Clinton or anti-Carter of anti-Kennedy, but I would never call them anti-Americans. Our real enemies are people who would destroy crowded buildings in NYC, not people who voted for Gore.

Yet, despite all this, the attacks on Moore's film are often totally vicious and off-base. A disturbing number of the reviews on this site, and many others, attack his weight more often than they attack the film. Yes, Moore is fat but so is Rush Limbaugh for God's sake.

Now, as for the allegations that Moore has fabricated some of the events in this film, I'm not sure exactly how to address all of them. Did he take Charlton Heston's "From my cold dead hands" speech totally out of context? Yes, he might have. But the thing is, this happens ALL THE TIME. Doesn't make it right, but it does happen. The Dixie Chicks said they were ashamed Bush was from Texas, you hardly ever read about the apology they issued shortly afterward. Critics of Bowling for Columbine only cite parts of it to try and dismiss the whole movie as meritless, and that's the same thing. And also, do these people really think that Rush Limbaugh and people over at Fox News always present clear and fair arguments about their politics? I don't think so.
Bowling for Columbine may not be entirely true, and it's advisable for a viewer to keep an open mind and swallow everything so easily. But it is a brilliantly constructed polemic, engrossing to watch and certainly relevant. No matter what your politics, you'll think on the issues raised here after seeing the movie, and that's admirable in itself.

Bowling for Columbine is a movie, and like all art it is certainly subjective. Those out there who are afraid of the left wing having a chance to speak out? Don't be. The war in Iraq still happened despite vocal objections from many Americans, so what do you have to worry about? People (and don't call us anti-Americans) who are disillusioned with the state of the country, disillusioned by the constant violence going on here, disillusioned by lies and the manipulation of media, may find some brief solace in a movie like this. Is that so wrong? I think this is Michael Moore's best work, because it concerns all of us. I can give this film nothing less than my highest recommendation.

Sicko

2009-05-28T05:18:00.000-07:00

No matter what people may think of Michael Moore, they will be hard-pressed to counter his film "Sicko" with one of a contrarian view. I suppose "Sickohype" or Sickohypo" or "Let'em all Die" just doesn't have the same resonance as "Fahrenhype" did to challenge his previous film.

Perhaps as landmark as Jacob Riis's "How the Other Half Lives," "Sicko" brings the devastating cost and state of health care in this country to light beginning with people who have lived the American dream and expected to live their retirement independently and in comfort. Early on, Moore shows a working couple forced to sell their home to meet medical obligations not covered, and now depend on the charity of their children. Moore carefully singles out several cases of the twenty-five thousand emails he received that reveal the appalling state of health care in a country that nurtures that dream. (None of the stories or emails are about couples in separate bathtubs looking out over a vineyard).

First are the insurance companies that are out to make a profit. (Nothing's wrong with that). However, the profit is at the expense of the medical coverage and preventative care they can deny. If they cannot deny it outright or claim such care is experimental, they will pour through a patient's medical history to see if any condition occurred that was not mentioned or remembered in the application process. This will give the company the means to deny all claims retroactively. Incidentally, doctors receive bonuses for the most claims they can deny!

The next spotlight is on the pharmaceutical companies which are so expensive that many people must continue working well beyond their retirement years, years they should be enjoying, years when there is the greatest need for medication. In particular, Moore singles out the very new and complicated prescription plan, which is more expensive for seniors than ever before, but benefits the pharmaceuticals. (Thank you, Mr. Bush).

Besides our illustrious president benefitting from the contributions of pharmaceuticals, Moore identifies a host of other republicans who have had their hands in drug company pockets--including the lady who was going to provide universal health care in the first place--Hillary Clinton whose plan the drug companies spent $100,000,000 to defeat. Fourteen staffers who worked on the Seniors' Prescription bill, moved on to lucrative lobby positions with the same companies, and Billy Tauzin was hired as CEO for Pharma at $2,000,000 a year. In any other milieu, that is called bribery, corruption, and conflict of interest. In Congress, it's called the cost of doing business.

But what gives Americans a strong sense of pride is our belief that our medical system and healthcare, while flawed, is the finest in the world. Moore is quick to write "denied" all over that fantasy. We see in Canada, Great Britain, and France, how people receive first rate health care, from first rate physicians without having to sell their homes, decide which finger they can afford to save, and have a higher life expectancy than Americans. (Doctors in Britain are actually paid more for getting people into better health habits and regimens).

Misnamed socialized medicine by its detractors, socialized insurance works in these countries efficiently without people crowding in waiting rooms, being taxed to death (as the health companies would have us believe), or dying because they cannot afford the medication, or because the insurance company denied their claim. Moore implies that paying higher taxes makes more sense than losing your homes or retirement to catastrophic illness in what is now the leading cause of bankruptcy in the country.

Moore's direction is flawless. His graphics and humor are engaging; dry and deprecating. This is a film that may make you well-up with tears that a society could take such good care of its companies and business, and dump its destitute on the street. Moore succeeds in making you feel empathy for those who are poorly treated or not at all. He is able to make you think: "Can that happen to me?" or "If it can work there, why can't it work here?"

The special edition also offers more in-depth discussion of health care that could not be put in the original film. This includes conversations with people on the street, HR 636 brought before the house, Norway which has the highest standard of health care in the world. (Yes, it is free). Sadly it also shows some of the people from the film whose family members died for lack of treatment, or because they were turned away.

The final irony of the film is one of the more poignant. The man who runs the most virulent anti-Michael Moore website announced that he would have to shut down because he couldn't afford the hospital care his wife so desperately needed.

Guess what Moore did.

The God Who Wasn't There

2009-05-28T05:17:00.000-07:00

I found this DVD both richly entertaining and extremely informative. Having been an atheist myself for over thirty years now, I considered myself knowledgeable on the subject matter of this DVD. Yet I was surprised - and quite delighted - by how much new insight I gained from this superb documentary.

For example, I did not previously realize that the Pauline Epistles make no reference at all to the virgin birth, to Mary and Joseph, to Bethlehem, to Herod, to *any* words allegedly spoken by Jesus, to anything pertaining to Jesus' earthly ministry, nor to any of the miracles Jesus supposedly performed. Paul mentions only the cruci-"fiction," resurrection and ascension, tales handed down to Christianity from older mythologies, as Brian Flemming powerfully demonstrates here.

Better than any other source I've seen, this DVD explains how the time-gap between Jesus' alleged death and the writing of the Gospels lends credibility to the assertion that Jesus probably never existed. Moreover, even if Jesus did exist, the stories surrounding him, such as the slaughter of the innocents, have no historical corroboration and therefore lead an objective viewer of this DVD to conclude that the Gospel accounts couldn't possibly be true (whether or not Jesus existed).

This documentary was also extremely funny where appropriate. When Brian Flemming summarized the highlights of Jesus' career, the footage running in the background - along with Flemming's casual manner of speaking - left me laughing more boisterously than I have since watching the original Monty Python episodes. What was especially funny was that Flemming's summary of the Gospels was perfectly on-target and did not distort scripture in any way. The DVD therefore succeeded in showing that the Bible, when viewed objectively, is truly laughable.

I also thoroughly enjoyed this DVD because I got to see video of individuals whose writings I have admired for years, such as Bob Price, Sam Harris, and Richard Carrier. People sometimes come across differently on camera than they do in print. But all of the extended interviews on the DVD showcased the intellect of these scholars as impressively as their books.

The physical production and packaging of this DVD are equivalent to anything marketed by Sony Pictures or Warner Brothers. I was expecting to receive a one-off DVD with an adhesive label. But what I received was a highly professional product in every sense of the word. My enthusiastic compliments to Brian Flemming and to everyone who participated in this important project. I hope that additional DVDs will be forthcoming.

Religulous

2009-05-28T05:16:00.000-07:00

GLOBAL WARNING: "If you do not have a Bill Maher, please invent or clone one. IT WILL DO YOUR COUNTRY GOOD". We, in the US have the original and are very happy with him.

I read in Variety about a few advanced "RELIGULOUS" screenings in Claremont California, (August 2008) and immediately hoped in my car, drove 40 miles and rushed to see the film. Happy I did.

The film is sharp, intelligent, real, thought provoking, educational and it is HILARIOUS! Though, sometimes I was not sure ... if I should laugh or cry? Cry for the foolishness and ignorance of so many of us who believe or believed in those clowns up there on the big screen. Let's not call them clowns, because I like clowns, but call them opportunists or entrepreneurs. It is a free country, THEY can sell anything that looks right from the outside and rotten in the inside.

The film eloquently showing us, RELIGION: Business for Grabs....fast and easy. "Religulous" would have been 24 hrs long if he would have included all religions and sects, but tackled only the major organizations and a few odd groups like the Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda. You will have a hoot listening to this impostor.

I loved the film, and I am recommending to ALL who have some common sense and open to intelligent conversation. This film will open more dialog than The DaVinci Code, and hope it will make "semi-believers" question their faith or at least see that all this Religious Business is nothing else but, well... business. I only wish Bill and his creative team, would have mentioned the Inquisition and the multitude of evil crimes, these religions committed since their existence. Than again, THAT WOULD NOT BE FUNNY.

Religious+Ridiculous=Religulous. What a great title and only after I watched the film, I realized how ridiculous were "almost" all who agreed to be interviewed, how selfish, how brainwashed and irrational ready to tell the world how they and "only THEY" will be saved at the end. I say almost, because there were some great people, including Bill's mother and a few ex-religious folks, who give us a good insight of their past. All the way through the film, Bill kept us laughing and informing. Sometimes amazingly serious and sometimes just plain funny.

Have a good time, go see, rent or buy the DVD. But caution: It is not for the already brainwashed poor souls or religious fanatics! They will get angry, shout, speak in tongs (like in the film), they will hear voices from god or find 1 million ridiculous answers for all Bill's questions. It is recommended for intelligent people, period.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

2009-05-28T05:15:00.000-07:00

First there was Kevin Smith, with his patented brand of hugely over-the-top raunch in CLERKS. As he "matured," he added a level of true feeling behind this work in CHASING AMY. And then he sort of lost his way with a few pretty awful films. Meanwhile, Judd Apatow established himself as the King of Sweet Raunch with 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN, KNOCKED UP, SUPERBAD, etc. In these films, the characters spoke about sex with a level of filthy detail never before heard. They indulged in reckless behavior. They were the kinds of people films had for decades told us were "bad." Yet we recognized people we knew in them, or even ourselves. They were also infused with an innocence and an acknowledgement that behind all the strutting bluster, we all just want to be loved. They acknowledged the weakness in men, and the strength in women who can make these men pull themselves up by their bootstraps and start to take life seriously. This was the Apatow "brand."

Now Kevin Smith has come storming back to reclaim his part of that little mountain. While his ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO doesn't re-establish him as King, it reminds us that Apatow and others owe him a debt...and that he's still capable of out-raunching the raunchiest stuff we've seen. And, as will be no surprise to anyone who has seen the trailers for the film, he mixes in the "sweet" stuff pretty well too.

The presence of Apatow disciple Seth Rogan makes the film seem more like an Apatow film than perhaps it really is. For example, in movies like SUPERBAD, there is actually relatively little sex being had. Characters talk about it, and they sure would like to be indulging in it...but not much happens. In ZACK & MIRI, a great deal of sex is had and shown. It is a far more visually explicit movie than Apatow's (the full frontal male nudity in WALK HARD being a notable exception). I wouldn't want to compare the level of explicit imagery in the dialogue side by side with a SUPERBAD, but I suspect that ZACK & MIRI is also verbally just a smidge more explicit as well.

Zack (Rogan) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) have been friends since first grade, and now, on the eve of their 10th High School Reunion, they are roommates sharing a rundown rental and one very run down car. They both have dead-end jobs and apparently no ambition. They also have not paid bills in quite awhile. While neither seems exactly HAPPY with life, both are content in the little routines they have to get through the day.

Miri forces Zack to go with her to the reunion, because she's hoping to shamelessly throw herself at the "boy" she crushed on in school (Brandon Routh). Zack, meanwhile, has an interesting conversation with this guys boyfriend (a hilarious Justin Long, as we've never seen him), who apparently is a well-known gay porn actor. Naturally, Miri is crushed to find this guy she intended to sleep with is gay, but the two are more upset to find their hot water and electricity has been turned off. But Zack comes up with the "great" idea to make a pornographic movie in order to pay their bills.

I won't dwell on the specifics anymore, but you can imagine how things might develop. The two hapless friends have no money and no video camera, so they have to turn to friends to underwrite their crazy venture, and an unlikely troupe of filmmakers develops. There are obligatory scenes of auditions and the struggle to come up with the right title for the film. (If this weren't a "family" site, I'd share a few...the one involving a twist on LAWRENCE OF ARABIA just about made me spew soda through my nose)

It's all quite, quite raunchy. While not literally as explicit as a real porn film, not all that much is held back. I can sure see why Smith had to fight to avoid an NC-17 rating. Under absolutely no circumstances to you want to see this film with your kids...no matter how old your kids are!

Will Zack & Miri find out they are right for each other? Will doing porn ruin their discovery? The film holds few plot related surprises, frankly. It is the verbal dazzle that keeps you entertained.

And the performances. Seth Rogan pretty much gives us the same character again...but he does have an ease about his acting that makes him enjoyable. His characters may be insecure, but Rogan is not. But it is Elizabeth Banks who surprises the most. I've seen her in a lot of smaller roles (on "Scrubs", for example) and to be honest, she's struck me as vaguely perky but lightweight. Here, it is frankly a bit startling to see her right in this raunchy mix, her mouth as dirty as anyone else. Smith has empowered her, that's for sure (don't know if that's a good thing for "society" or not). She also finds some true depths in Miri, particularly as the film winds down, that elevate her performance to a special level. It's not Oscar winning stuff, exactly, but it will make people sit up and take notice of her. This, and her praised performance in W., have made it quite a good year for her.

The movie is hilarious. That's what you want to know, isn't it? My wife and I both laughed uproariously many time. It will offend you, too. Smith loses control a few times, with some random scenes that grind the story to a halt. Most revolved around the character played by Jason Mewes (better known as "Jay" in a myrid of Smith's earlier films) a young man who makes it into the film due to some "special talent." He's funny, but his stuff seems out of place...as though Smith stopped his movie to let his old buddy riff on some dirty stuff. There's also some stuff about a constipated actress that devolves into the nastiest couple of seconds you've ever seen, that even so are unbelievable, unlikely, unfunny AND distract from a key moment for the story.

(By the way, I apologize if I've offended anyone with the review...tough to talk much about this film without stretching the boundaries a little. If you find my review offensive...please skip the film.)

Overall, Smith has made a funny and sometimes tender film. If Judd Apatow had never existed, this film would be groundbreaking. Now it is a familiar formula, with the raunchy dial turned to 11. But, if that's something you've enjoyed before, you'll get many big laughs from ZACK & MIRI!

Let The Right One In

2009-05-28T05:13:00.000-07:00

I was very disappointed with this DVD. So much so that I'm returning my copy of it. I saw the movie in theatres, and found it masterful. The amazing tone is part of the beauty of the film, and the subtitles on the US DVD release are a travesty. They remove most of the subtlety from the tone and characters (see http://iconsoffright.com/news/2009/03/let_the_wrong_subtitles_in_to.html for examples). The movie I saw in theatres was a masterpiece; the movie on this DVD (using subtitles) is a mediocrity. If you are going to buy this DVD, either download and use the theatrical subtitles or use the mediocre dubbing track. As for me, I'm going to look for another region's copy or wait for a re-release.

In the end, this DVD is a masterclass on why good subtitle translations are critical in foreign films.

Repo! The Genetic Opera

2009-05-28T05:12:00.000-07:00

This movie is amazing! The scenes are very creepy and unsettling, but at the same time very appealing and artistically beautiful. Even if you hated the music or plot, which I didn't this movie alone for the scenery is worth a buy.

Now about the music. At first I was uncertain of how to feel regarding their musical numbers, and by the third song I was hooked. The lyrics in this are comedic at times, other times serious, and actually nearing the end there is a song that I think is pleasant, "I Didn't Think I'd Love You This Much," is the name of the song I believe. The vocals of lead Alexa Vega are great, strong, and defined. Even Paris Hilton surprised me as this is the first time I have heard her vocals, and it reminded me some some old school goth rock cd I'd listen to in high school. Finally, Sarah Brightman. What can I say about Sarah that anyone doesn't already know? Musical Wise, she was nothing short of spectacular.

Acting wise, I'm a big junkie for Bill Mosley and it was fun to see him pull off the comedic cult character he portrayed. Paris, actually did great acting, it surprised me how great Alex Vega did considering I had never seen her attempt anything like this, and I was surprised that Sarah Brightman could be as dark as she was in this movie. The casting meshed well and it was fun to see such big names in a movie that hadn't hit theaters in my area.

Art wise, the scenes were mind-blowing. There are scenes where there is much cgi used, but overall it looks good, and that's saying a lot for me considering I hate cgi. Also, the make up was great with good effects, example, if the box hadn't said Paris was in this I doubt I would have recognized her until the end.

Overall, I rarely say this.... But I wish I could give this a higher rating then a 5 star. I will be buying the soundtrack as soon as I complete this review. Repo! Will be played a second time tonight for my posse... Yes, it was that good.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

2009-05-28T05:11:00.001-07:00

So it's nothing short of a miracle that I ran into this webcast musical. I'd never dipped in the pond of Whedon's work and at the time I wasn't a fan of any of the actors, but boy did that change.

I first heard about Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog from a couple weekly podcasts that I listened to and everyone loved it, so I gave it a try. I came out of the experience singing the catchy songs for weeks, seeking out the actors' works, and wanting to be a bigger Whedon fan.

The acting is spectacular. Neil Patrick Harris is one of the best actors of his generation and he shows real and refined talent by both singing and acting as Dr. Horrible himself. It's a shame that Nathan Fillion, Captain Hammer, is not an exploding star. Felica Day, too, exhibits fine acting and singing skills and it's hard not to fall in love with her character, Penny.

The Whedon team (+ Mo) do an amazing job of weaving together fine acting, extremely catchy and well-written songs, and witty, yet thought-provoking dialogue in the tragicomedy that is Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog and I, for one, cannot wait for more.

Dollhouse

2009-05-28T05:10:00.001-07:00

I am writing this review one week away from the finale and I have to say this show is easily the best new show of this season.

Yes, true that the first half of the season is much slower in terms of action and suspense than the latter half but do we really expect to go into a brand new show with mysteries and action coming at you from all directions? It would have proved to be a little overwhelming.

With that said, I'm one of the rare few that appreciated the time given to adjust to the concept of the show and to understand and develop a care for the characters. Many viewers went into the show with this expectation of what the show should be simply because it is a Joss Whedon creation.

With that level of expectation, it of course resulted in major disappointment and in turn created this whole frenzy about the show's survival which ultimately hurt the enjoyment of the show.

Refused to stress over the fate of the show, I decided to watch the show for what it is and am truly satisfied with it. Both the writing and acting has been nothing short of being superb and like any Joss Whedon show, it is inevitable for you to fall in love with the characters.

Not only do you find yourself falling in love with the lead character - Echo, you soon find that you can't help but care for those around her as well. Like her fellow doll, Sierra played by the incredible Dichen Lachman who has this coolness about her that makes it really enjoyable to watch every time she takes on the character of a under cover agent as well as the "cold hearted boss woman" Adelle played by Olivia Williams. Adelle is easily the most complex character on the show. There are just so many layers to that character and you feel her pain and her loneliness and you care despite of that tough exterior and that is something you look for in a character. Props to Joss Whendon on this one!

Buffy fans like myself would be pleased to know that Eliza Dushku is back kicking butt in this show. In fact there are many moments in which Echo reminded me of Faith.

Yes, it is still uncertain if the show would be back for another season but there's absolutely no doubt as to if you should get this DVD. Go into the show with a open mind that's all the advice I have to give.

I already pre-ordered my copy so get yours today! and let's hope FOX have enough sense to renew them for a 2nd season.

Fringe

2009-05-28T05:09:00.001-07:00

I have dual suggestions for anyone thinking of trying FRINGE. First, definitely watch it. Second, be very, very patient. The show eventually gets very, very good, but it takes a very long time to get there. I have a theory as to why that is. FOX has a tendency to micro manage many of its shows. DOLLHOUSE is an example. After Joss Whedon brought them his initial pilot, they nixed it and asked for a new one, and then dictated that the first several episodes be standalone episodes. And guess what. In the sixth episode DOLLHOUSE became one of the best shows on TV, with multiple delicious plot twists. The weakest part of the series? The first five stand alone episodes. I have not heard similar things about FRINGE, but given that the first half of the season tends to be almost all stand alone episodes and that they are far and away the weakest part of the show, I suspect more FOX interference. FRINGE has been compared to THE X-FILES in many ways, but one way that they are dissimilar is that THE X-FILES standalone episodes were far superior to FRINGE's standalone episodes. So the viewer has to be patient for the payoff for watching the show to come to fruition. But the payoff does finally come. About halfway through the series a "mythology" arc emerges in a most satisfying way, resulting in a string of deeply satisfying and exciting episodes in the second half of the season. At the end of the first year, it hasn't yet quite become a great show, but it shows all the potential of becoming one. But perhaps only if FOX will get out of the way and let them get on with the story.

The show also suffered from internal problems, the main one being casting. I came to like Anna Torv in the lead role of Agent Olivia Dunham, but she remained in many ways the show's weak link. Many fans noted that her American accent (Torv is Australian) often faded and especially early in the show her Aussie accent would briefly creep in. She isn't a bad actress, but neither is she - comparing the show once again to THE X-FILES - Gillian Anderson, who was by any accounting a brilliant actress. When I watch FRINGE, I often wonder just what the show would be like with a stronger actress in the lead role. I also have not yet become sold on Joshua Jackson as Peter Bishop, but this may be far more of a problem with the writers fully integrating him into the show. (Though the season ends with a great, great twist involving Peter that explains a lot of the background on Walter's story.) Other than being Walter's son, his role in the greater scheme of things hasn't really become clear, though perhaps the writers envision a more crucial role in Season Two. Lance Reddick is a powerful physical presence, but is another actor who has perhaps been under utilized at this point.

Which leaves John Noble as Walter Bishop. Is there a more delightful supporting character on TV? He steals just about every scene he is in as the delightfully idiosyncratic and marvelously insane genius Walter Bishop. Walter is both a wonderfully written character and brilliantly portrayed by Noble. Sci-fi series do not as a rule get much recognition by the Emmys, but I would love to see Noble get a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama. Many of the great moments of the show's first season revolve around Walter. And there are so many fine Walter moments that some go unnoticed. Among my favorites was in the show's penultimate episode where the crew is assembled in Walter's Harvard lab and someone says they need to turn the lights out. Walter gleefully tells them all to hold on and he claps his hands, demonstrating that he has "the Clapper" installed in the lab. But what makes the scene so funny is a very subtle bit of business. Walter has been passing out cookies and has one of his own. To be able to clap, he has set his own cookie down on the derrière of the corpse he has been examining and that is laying immediately in front of him. So while Walter is clapping his cookie is on this dead guy's rear end. Typical Walter. Not least because of Walter's penchant for blending the investigation of the most grotesque phenomena with food. Icky disfigured corpse? Nothing like that to get Walter to think about food!

The best thing about FRINGE is that it got better as it went along. This is a great sign for Season Two. I blame FOX for the slow first half of the season. Maybe I'm wrong in doing that, but we know for a fact that FOX messed up the first half of DOLLHOUSE, and they've been known to interfere with the development of other shows. The fact is this: executive producers and their writers know more about how to do a great show than network executives do. Maybe they feel that they need to earn their salaries by "crafting" the new series, but generally what they do is mess things up. You hire someone like J. J. Abrams or Joss Whedon to do a series, just get out of the way and let them do what they inevitably do better than you do.

So definitely watch this show. Be patient. It starts off OK, but about halfway through the season it will really start to kick tail. I think there is some core weakness in the cast, but not to the degree that it cripples the show. Best of all, this show really feels like it is going somewhere special. Make sure you are along for the ride.

Supernatural

2009-05-28T05:08:00.002-07:00

I highly anticipated the return of Supernatural after the cliff hanger we were left with on Season Three. So far [there's still a couple more episodes of season four which have yet to air] this season has not been disappointing. From the beginning, with Dean escaping from Hell, to this raging war between the angels and demons, this is one action packed adventure and thrilling ride to be on. I have watched this show from it's debut, and it just keeps getting better. I don't want to reveal too much information for those who read this and have not watched SPN, and I also can't comment as much as I'd like because the season has not yet finished. However, I couldn't wait 'til it's completion to fill out a review for it, and I have definitely put this box set on Alert so that I know immediately when it's released this Fall [more than likely]. I can't wait to have these episodes on DVD to rewatch and relive. I highly recommend this show to anyone; this season stands so far to be the best of SPN yet.

Just wanted to add to my review quick: a lot of people seem to be wishing for a Supernatural soundtrack. Here are 2 awesome sites that will give you a list of songs played in every episode from Season One to Season Four. So get to downloading and making a SPN playlist of your own! :)

Edit: I'm so sorry; every time I put the URLs in for the sites, Amazon doesn't show them.. I'm going to try putting them into a comment for this review so check there if you're interested!

Eureka

2009-05-28T05:08:00.000-07:00

There's some not-so-pleasant changes in store for the little town of Eureka.

"Eureka Season 3.0" (meaning the first half of the third season a la "Battlestar Galactica") provides plenty of those, which adds some new tension to geniustown (including some rather shocking cast changes and a new "love-to-hate" person). It's kind of disconcerting to only have eight episodes, but they have the signature mixture of warm comedy and intriguing sci-fi mystery.

Among the changes in store: Alison (Salli Richardson-Whitfield) and Nathan (Ed Quinn) contemplate remarriage, and Henry is in jail. And the DOD sends in a corporate "fixer" named Eva Thorne (Frances Fisher) arrives to cut the deadwood from Global Dynamics. But then an anti-missile VIPER drone goes AWOL during a flight test and starts threatening Eureka, while Thorne decides to embed herself in Global Dynamics as one of the new bosses.

And while Eva ruthlessly makes GD "profitable," the usual sci-fi disasters crop up. Carter has to deal with bizarre transformations in a sealed biosphere, a wedding-day timeloop, exploding biomemetic dogs, an impossible volcano brewing under Eureka (and which sprays gross fluids on people), an inept spandex-wearing "Captain Eureka," a mayoral election heated up by an artificial supernova, and a swarm of ancient Egyptian insects.

In the meantime, Thorne is snooping around Eureka in search of something. Her quest leads to the discovery of a vast military base, and some bodies dead since 1939 -- and a bizarre substance that threatens Zoe's life after she slips and falls in it.

Apparently the once all-important Artifact is yesterday's business, because the dark subplot of "Eureka Season 3.0" is the mystery prewar bunker and whatever Thorne wants destroyed. It adds a nice undercurrent of conspiracy and tension to this season, though the focus is always first and foremost on our Everyman Sheriff, and how he tries to deal with the Horrific World-Ending Scientific Crisis of the day.

That's a nice balance, because the rest of the season flows in a river of gentle humor and extreme scientific problems. Plenty of weird inventions (cloud sculpting, flying rabbits and robot pooches), fun tongue-in-cheek dialogue ("They killed the infected and burned the city to the ground." "Let's call that Plan B"), and hilarious comedic moments. And Carter's always in the middle of it, trying to unravel a way to fix things.

But it's worth noting that while the Disasters Du Jour and the bunker plots are dealt with by the eighth episode, the half season ends with a cliffhanger for one character. Just sayin'.

Ferguson does a brilliant job as Carter, the down-to-earth Everycop who just wants to do his job ("It's all fun and games until someone gets cursed"). But Carter has some new problems in this season -- his new-agey, pregnant sister moves in with him, and Zoe continues to spread her wings with a job and boyfriend. Erica Cerra's Jo experiences some relationship woes, while Richardson-Whitfield's Alison is put in the position of being pretty powerless. Sadly, a longtime cast member also exits the scene early on.

This season also sees the return of Henry, whose skills turn out to be too invaluable for him to rot in prison -- and he even gets a new job on top of his old one. And Fisher turns out to be a great addition: she initially makes a great steely-eyed corporate dictator, but the facade cracks as time goes on, and we get to see that she's haunted by something terrible in the past.

"Eureka Season 3.0" is way too short (new episodes coming in July), but it still has the fresh mix of out-there sci-fi and small-town comedy. Definitely still worth the seeing.

Saving Grace

2009-05-28T05:07:00.000-07:00

I'm in love with this series. I thought it would be a joke ("a cop gets advice from an angel"), but I have no trouble accepting the angel ("Earl") as the real thing, or a figment of Grace's imagination; it really doesn't matter! Serious issues, tense drama, great acting (even from Laura San Giacomo (sp?)).

In Plain Sight

2009-05-28T05:06:00.000-07:00

I didn't catch onto this series until the first season was already over, but have been enjoying reruns on the USA network and Sleuth. And I have been anticipating the release of this series on DVD ever since. The characters are well developed, full of the flaws which accompany us all on life's path, and for the most part are very likable. That said, the over-the-top dysfunctional antics of Mom and Sis DO get old, and I find Jinx's character to be a waste of the talents of Leslie Ann Warren. She is absolutely the queen of quirky, but of all the characters, her storylines are the least entertaining, and in fact, bring down the entire show a notch. If I get tired of this series, this will be the reason for it. Mary certainly has dysfunctions of her own, but she at least, appears to be able to learn along the way. I'd like to see the dysfunction toned down. If these characters can all grow a bit, then I believe this series could have a long and successful run.

The interaction between Mary McCormack and Fred Weller's characters is especially delightful; it's the jewel of this series, and without it, I'm not sure how successful this show would be. What with his encyclopaedic knowledge of all things arcane and quirky, and his perfectly dry, straight-man delivery, he and Mary have a delightful kind of chemistry you don't see too often. In fact, I feel he really should have equal billing to Mary McCormack.

The Witness Protection aspect of the story makes for somewhat unusual storylines, which are MORE than welcome, and the show is well written. All in all, it adds up to a lot of fun. And as an extra bonus for me, it's filmed in Northern New Mexico, my favorite place in the world. What more could I ask for?

Burn Notice

2009-05-28T05:05:00.000-07:00

The writing for the first season of Burn Notice was excellent, very tight with interesting characters and situations. However, towards the end, a lot of fans were worried. Some of the helpless clients of the week were starting to feel a touch repetitive.

We needn't have worried.

The second season just finished, and I can assure you that the writing is even better, the characters stronger, and many of the story lines more compelling, than in the first season. It's no wonder the show has doubled its viewing audience. I particularly like how the characters have evolved. Michael has dealt with some of his family issues, gotten closer to his brother, and understands that his mother really does care about him--even if that's easier to take when she's not blowing cigarette smoke (literally) in his face. The bad guys are organized and smart, which means he have to be even smarter. It's good story telling.

However, even with all the other positives that made me pre-order the DVD set as soon as it was possible, there are several particular episodes that stand out from the rest, which alone are worth the price of the DVDs. One of these involves Michael Westin trapped inside a bank during a robbery with a government agent, Bly, whom he blackmailed the first season and who hates Michael's guts. Watching the respect build between the two, and the way they wind up working together -- not to mention Michael Westins way of dealing with the robbers -- is delightful. It's nothing you've ever seen before. It's not Die Hard and it's not like The Ransom of Red Chief (where a little boy makes kidnappers regret ever taking him to the point they wind up paying the parents to take him back). From start to finish, the robbers never figure out that they have a tiger by the tail. The only one with a clue how dangerous that Westin can be is Bly, who had read Westin's dossier in season 1 and has been dancing back and forth with him to see who can top whom. The ending is particularly satisfying. So, I really loved "Bad Breaks" and doubted (silly me) whether they could top this story line in the remaining episodes.

They did.

The season finale completed a fascinating story arc involving an ex-CIA agent, Victor, gone to the dark side. This 4 episode story arc alone makes this season is a must-have for fans. What can one say about this amazing character? Played by Michael Shanks in a recurring role, Victor took us through the gamut. We went from hating him and thinking he is a psychopath wavering on the edge of sanity (you were never quite sure how he was going to react to things), to realizing he was an incredibly tragic character and a cautionary tale of what Michael could have been in other circumstances. The emotional roller coaster we share with the characters on screen as we learn of Victor's back story (which comes out in the finale) and resulting changes in his relationship to Michael Westin is story telling at its best.

I have not been a fan of Michael Shanks in the past. However, his acting here is truly inspired. It goes far beyond anything I've seen him do other than in "The Arc of Truth" in the prison scene when Shanks' character, Daniel Jackson, finally gives up hope. It is worthy of an Emmy. Moreover, even with the already great supporting cast of Bruce Campbell (always worth watching and allowed some great scenes in the 2nd season), Sharon Gless (as Michael's mother who smokes while exercising to Jack LaLanne--which you have to watch to realize how funny that is), and Gabrielle Anwar (as the explosive Fiona), there's something magical about the chemistry between Shanks and Donovan that seems to kick Donovan's acting--already extraordinary--up a notch to a level seldom seen on the small screen. And if the ending is shocking, the choices made surprising to the viewer, one cannot help but feel that the characters have been changed forever by this experience and nothing will be quite the same again. Perhaps best of all, it makes the viewer asks of season 3, what's next? Because if there's one thing the writers, actors, and producers have shown us, it's that they understand good story telling, and can be trusted to make choices that will keep us on the edge of our seats, coming back for more.

I highly recommend this DVD set, especially if you haven't seen the show on TV. Although most of the story lines could work as stand-alones, there is an on-going story arc (of how and why Michael got burned and what he's doing to get his life back) that makes more sense if you watch them in order. The extras on the season 1 DVD set were excellent (including Donovan and Anwar's audition tapes), and I expect them to be equally good here. So far, I know of at least one extra that should be a lot of fun. Michael Shanks has reported recording a commentary track with Bruce Campbell and Matt Nix.

I speak for many fans when I say I can hardly wait for June, and the start of season 3 on USA network! Thank goodness Donovan's contract has been extended for another 6 years (total 8 seasons)! I love this show!

The Closer

2009-05-28T05:03:00.001-07:00

Kyra Sedqwick is not only interesting, but slightly annoying (in a good way) in her role as Brenda Leigh Johnson. In one scene she can give us a performance full of drama lightened by the quirkiness of her character. Season 4 of The Closer was excellent. It was full of change and of very good and well written episodes. The team came under fire from the press for what is and what is not called Priority Homicide. This leads to a major restructuring of the squad and a very interesting turn of events thanks to Brenda's quick thinking. The squad had to deal with their own problems: interpersonal relationships (Daniels and Gabriel) and one of them has to deal the loss of a loved one. Brenda's parents came for an episode and put Brenda and Fritz' relationship in the limelight. Just when are they going to get married?! Brenda and Fritz also had to deal with moving to a new (temporary) place and with their relationship. The episodes of the closer were excellent coming to a rather explosive and great season finale.

Jennie Garth

2009-05-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

Jennie Garth (birth name Jennifer Eve Garth) was born on April 3, 1972 in Urbana, Illinois, USA. She is a popular, very talented and beautiful actress.

Biography and Career :

John and Carolyn Garth are her parents and they have three kids from other marriage each: Johnny, Chuck, Lisa, Cammie, Wendy and Lynn. She began by taking dance lessons and as a model in Arizona.

In 1987 she was discovered by a scout and so she started her acting career and moved to Los Angeles. She had acting lessons and then received the role of Erica McCray in the series "A Brand New Life".

The role of 'Kelly Taylor' on teen drama-series "Beverly Hills, 90210" on FOX brought her fame, popularity and success. She also played in "Watching the Detectives", "The Last Cowboy", "Secret Santa", "What I Like About You" or :Girl, Positive".

On April 16, 1994 she married Daniel B. Clark. In November 1996 the couple got divorced. She remarried, this time to Peter Facinelli on January 20, 2001 and now they have three children: Luca Bella who was born in June 1997, Lola Ray, who was born in December 2002 and Fiona Eve Facinelli who was born in September 2006.

She is a beautiful, smart and talented person and has many fans everywhere.

Trivia :

- Height: 165 cm
- She is a vegetarian person.
- She was among VH1 Top 100 Greatest Teen Stars.
- She speaks Italian very well.
- Tiffani Thiessen is a good friend of hers.
- She likes horseback riding, gardening, housekeeping and caring for her children.

Quotes :

- "I never met a cow I didn't like."

- "The craziest thing I did to get a guy to notice me was going out with his best friend. It worked -- he did notice me -- but I don't recommend it."

Filmography :

- Girl, Positive (2007) (TV)
- American Dad! (1 episode, 2006)
- What I Like About You (71 episodes, 2002-2006)
- Secret Santa (2003) (TV)
- The Last Cowboy (2003) (TV)
- Watching the Detectives (2001) (TV)
- The $treet (8 episodes, 2000-2001)
- Beverly Hills, 90210 (292 episodes, 1990-2000)
- Telling You (1998) (uncredited)
- Sin City Spectacular (1 episode, 1998)
- My Brother's War (1997)
- A Loss of Innocence (1996) (TV)
- Power 98 (1996)
- An Unfinished Affair (1996) (TV)
- Biker Mice from Mars (1 episode, 1995)
- Falling for You (1995) (TV)
- Without Consent (1994) (TV)
- Lies of the Heart: The Story of Laurie Kellogg (1994) (TV)
- Star (1993) (TV)
- Melrose Place (3 episodes, 1992)
- A Brand New Life (6 episodes, 1989-1990)
- Just Perfect (1990) (TV)
- Teen Angel Returns (1990) TV Series
- Growing Pains (1 episode, 1989).

Erika Eleniak

2009-05-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

Erika Eleniak is a famous actress who was born on Monday, September 29, 1969 in California, USA. She is best known for the several movies she worked for in the period of time 1980-2005. Some of the most representative films are: The Opponent, Final Voyage, The Librarians, Fantasy Island and Vegas, City of Dreams among many others.

General appearance:

- 5' 6" (168 cm) height.

Being born on 09/29, Erika is a libra.

Erika Eleniak had studied at Van Nuys High School, Van Nuys, CA.

Erika dated James Colby and amongst other famous relationships was William McNamara.

Yasmine Bleeth

2009-05-27T08:29:00.001-07:00

Yasmine Bleeth (full name Yasmine Amanda Bleeth) was born on June 14, 1968 in New York, USA. She is a famous American actress/model. Yasmine Bleeth height: 5' 5" / 1.65 m.

Biography and Career :

Yasmine Bleeth, born in New York to parents Philip and Carina, began her acting career at the tender age of six months.

Yasmine Bleeth was featured as the Johnson & Johnson baby in the infamous "No More Tears" shampoo commercial. When she was 6 years old, she appeared in a Max Factor campaign, which ultimately caught the eye of fashion photographer, Francesco Scavullo. By 12, Yasmine Bleeth landed a role in the feature film Hey Babe! starring, opposite Buddy Hackett. Thus began her career in acting.

Yasmine Bleeth attended the United Nations International School in New York whils t juggling both a modeling and acting career. Already well experienced in the acting field, Yasmine Bleeth began acting in the soap opera Ryan's Hope by 16 years old. Her role lasted for 4 years before she moved on to yet another soap, One Life To Live.

Yasmine Bleeth is most famous for her well-known role as Caroline Holden in the popular worldwide television program Baywatch, which began in 1994. During her 3-year run on the bikini-clad show, People magazine voted her one of 1995's 50 Most Beautiful People. Her stint on Baywatch helped Yasmine Bleeth land some made-for-TV movies including A Face To Die For (1996), Crowned and Dangerous (1997), and The Lake (1998).

In 1998 Yasmine Bleeth got her big screen debut in the movie BASEketball, alongside Jenny McCarthy. She then appeared in Coming Soon, Heaven or Vegas, and Ultimate Deception (all in 1999), but none of these movies managed to make Yasmine Bleeth a full-fledged movie star.

Yasmine Bleeth returned to television in 1998 when she took a roll opposite Don Johnson in the CBS hit show Nash Bridges. She remained on the show for 2 years. When Yasmine Bleeth left Nash, she moved on to become vixen Heather Lane Williams in Aaron Spelling's nighttime soap opera Titans. Unfortunately the show was canceled after only a few episodes.

In 2001, Yasmine Bleeth's life took an unfortunate turn as she ended up crashing her car into a median on a Michigan road. Shortly after police arrived, she was arrested for drug possession, as cocaine was found in her purse. After she spent the night in jail, she was sentenced to 2 years probation and 100 hours of community service.

In 2003, Yasmine Bleeth was back on her feet and hooked up with the Baywatch gang again for the made-for-TV movie, Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding.

Although she has been linked to numerous celebrities including Luke Perry, Matthew Perry, Grant Show, Ricky Paull Goldin, and Richard Grieco, Yasmine Bleeth is currently married to former bar owner Paul Cerrito, whom she wed in 2002. The couple currently reside in California.

Filmography :

The Last Guy on Earth (2006) (pre-production)

1.Candid Camera: 5 Decades of Smiles (2005) (V)
2. Maximum Surge Movie (2003) (TV) .... Jo
... aka Game Over (USA: video title)
3. Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding (2003) (TV) .... Caroline Holden
4. "Nash Bridges" .... Caitlin Cross (1998-2000)
... aka Bridges
- Blow Out (2000) TV Episode .... Caitlin Cross
- Jackpot: Part 2 (2000) TV Episode .... Caitlin Cross
- Hard Cell (2000) TV Episode .... Caitlin Cross
- Heist (2000) TV Episode .... Caitlin Cross
- Cop Out (2000) TV Episode .... Caitlin Cross
(18 more)
5. Titans (2000) (TV) .... Heather Lane Williams
6. "Titans" .... Heather Lane Williams
- Pilot (2000) TV Episode .... Heather Lane Williams
7. "V.I.P."
... aka V.I.P. - Die Bodyguards (Germany)
- Miss Con-Jeannie-Ality (2000) TV Episode .... Kristen Grayson
8. Goodbye, Casanova (2000) .... Lavinia
9. Hidden War (2000) (TV) .... Alexia Forman
10. Road Rage (1999) (TV) .... Ellen Carson
11. Undercover Angel (1999) .... Holly Anderson
... aka Un vrai petit ange (Canada: French title)
12. It Came from the Sky (1999) (TV) .... Pepper Upper
... aka Visiteurs impromtus, Les (Canada: French title)
13. Coming Soon (1999) .... Mimi
14. Heaven or Vegas (1999) .... Rachel
15. Ultimate Deception (1999) (TV) .... Terry Cuff
... aka Ultimate Betrayal (USA)
16. BASEketball (1998) .... Jenna Reed
17. "Veronica's Closet"
- Veronica's a Drag (1998) TV Episode .... Katerena
18. The Lake (1998) (TV) .... Jackie Ivers
19. "Baywatch" .... Caroline Holden (1994-1997)
... aka Baywatch Hawaii (USA: new title)
- Hijacked (1997) TV Episode .... Caroline Holden
- Missing (1997) TV Episode (uncredited) .... Caroline Holden
- Out of the Blue (1997) TV Episode .... Caroline Holden
- Lifeguard Confidential (1997) TV Episode .... Caroline Holden
- Promised Land (1995) TV Episode .... Caroline Holden
(1 more)
20. Crowned and Dangerous (1997) (TV) .... Danielle Stevens
21. "The Naked Truth"
... aka Wilde Again
- The Dating Game (1997) TV Episode .... Natalie
22. Talk to Me (1996) (TV) .... Diane Shepherd
23. A Face to Die For (1996) (TV) .... Emily Gilmore
... aka The Face (UK: video title)
24. "Baywatch Nights"
... aka Detectives on the Beach
- The Curator (1996) TV Episode .... Caroline Holden
25. Maximum Surge (1996) (VG) .... Jo
26. Baywatch: Forbidden Paradise (1995) (V) .... Caroline Holden
27. The Force (1994) .... Coral Wilson
28. "Herman's Head"
- An Actor Prepares (1993) TV Episode .... Linda
29. "One Life to Live" (1968) TV Series .... LeeAnn Demerest Buchanan (1991-1993)
30. "Ryan's Hope" .... Ryan Maeve Fenelli Hyde #3 (1985-1989)
- Episode dated 13 January 1989 (1989) TV Episode .... Ryan Maeve Fenelli Hyde
- Episode dated 24 October 1985 (1985) TV Episode .... Ryan Fenelli
31. Hey Babe! (1980) .... Theresa O'Brian

Kim Basinger

2009-05-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

Kim Basinger (birth name Kimila Ann Basinger) was born on December 8, 1953 in Athens, Georgia, USA. She is a popular actress and an ex fashion model.

Biography and Career :

When she was three years old she began taking ballet lessons. She had attended Athens High School and was a cheerleader there. At the beginning she was a model and then became an actress. In 1983, the role in "Never Say Never Again", one of the Bond series, brought her fame.

During the years she has appeared in many movies and received many awards including the Academy Award. She is also the winner of Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Pictu re. In October 1980 she married Ron Snyder. After years the couple got divorced.

On August 19, 1993 she married Alec Baldwin. They have one child, Ireland, and in February 2002 decided to divorce. She is a great woman and actress, sexy, talented and smart and any man would love to have her as wife. Her fans are really numerous and they are supportive and continue showing their love.

Trivia :

- Height: 171 cm
- In 1995 she was one of Empire magazine's 100 Sexiest Stars in film history.
- She had suffered of Agoraphobia.
- She is a vegetarian person and has Irish origins.
- She and Sam Kinison were born on the same day.

Quotes :

- "I feel there are two people inside me -- me and my intuition. If I go against her, she'll screw me every time, and if I follow her, we get along quite nicely."

- "I think any girl who comes to Hollywood with sex symbol or bombshell hanging over her has a rough road."

Filmography :

- The Burning Plain (2009)
- The Informers (2008)
- While She Was Out (2008)
- The Mermaid Chair (2006) (TV)
- The Sentinel (2006)
- Even Money (2006/I)
- Cellular (2004)
- Elvis Has Left the Building (2004)
- The Door in the Floor (2004)
- People I Know (2002)
- 8 Mile (2002)
- Bless the Child (2000)
- I Dreamed of Africa (2000)
- L.A. Confidential (1997)
- Prêt-à-Porter (1994)
- The Getaway (1994)
- Wayne's World 2 (1993)
- The Real McCoy (1993)
- Cool World (1992)
- Final Analysis (1992)
- The Marrying Man (1991)
- Batman (1989)
- My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988)
- Nadine (1987)
- Blind Date (1987)
- No Mercy (1986)
- Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986)
- Fool for Love (1985)
- The Natural (1984)
- The Man Who Loved Women (1983)
- Never Say Never Again (1983)
- Mother Lode (1982)
- Killjoy (1981) (TV)
- Hard Country (1981)
- From Here to Eternity (1980) TV series
- From Here to Eternity (1979) (mini) TV mini-series
- Vega$ (1 episode, 1978)
- Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold (1978) (TV)
- The Ghost of Flight 401 (1978) (TV)
- Dog and Cat (1977) TV series (unknown episodes, 1977)
- Dog and Cat (1977) (TV)
- McMillan & Wife (1 episode, 1977)
- The Six Million Dollar Man (1 episode, 1977)
- Charlie's Angels (1 episode, 1976)
- Gemini Man (1 episode, 1976).

Michelle Pfeiffer

2009-05-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

Michelle Pfeiffer (Michelle Marie Pfeiffer) was born on Tuesday, April 29, 1958 and is a famous actress.

General appearance:

- 5' 7½" (171 cm) height, blue eyes and blonde hair.

Being born on 04/29, Michelle is a taurus and has a slim body.

Michelle Pfeiffer had studied at Newport Harbor High School, Newport Beach, CA (transferred) Fountain Valley High School, Fountain Valley, CA (1976).

Michelle dated Fisher Stevens and amongst other famous relationships was Eric Clapton.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

2009-05-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Twins were born on June 13, 1986 in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. They are American actresses, best known for playing the role of Michelle Tanner on the sitcom Full House.

Biography and Career :

They started becoming famous even since their early years. Mary and Ashley are best know for Full House because this was the very start of their career as actresses, this was happening in 1987. During the filming of Full House, the beautiful twins also did some direct-to-video movies.

Shortly after their breakthrough in the movie world, Mary and Ashley started their own company (1993), Dualstar Entertainment Group, LLC which was making and selling video games, movies, magazines and other stuff.

They also joined the fashion world and started their own clothing line in Wal-Mart stores, Mary-Kate was named a fashion icon for her clothing style. It seems that it was meant for the beautiful twins to have a lot of success in every domain. We hope they will continue doing so and hope that they will pleasure us with their appearance in many successful movies from now on.

Christina Ricci

2009-05-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

Christina Ricci was born on February 12, 1980, in Santa Monica, California, USA. She is a famous American actress.

Biography and Career :

Her father was a lawyer and her mother was model. They had four children. She was the youngest of them. She showed up in TV commercials at the early age of 8 when she had to move to New York with her family.

Her debut on the big screen was in "The Addams Family". Christina Ricci 's career was not successful all the time. Her career 's ups and downs were showed by films like: "Now and Then", "Casper", "The Opposite of Sex", the star was nominee for the Golden Globe and she won at Sundance Film Festival the title "St" Girl in 1998. The same year she starred in "200 Cigarettes" and in "The Desert Blue" with Johnny Deep. Christina Ricci's l atest movies were "The Man who Cried" and "Bless the Child".

Trivia :

- She had relationships with Adam Goldberg (actor; born on October 25, 1970; dating since 2003), Matthew Frauman (actor, waiter; born 1972).
- Her best role in a movie was as Kathleen 'Kat' Harvey in "Casper" (1995).
- She has apologized and pledged never to wear fur again after being deluged with angry letters from fans.
- Her biggest fan website Christinaricci.info has been closed down - because the owner disapproves of the actress wearing fur.
- She co-hosted a 10 volume educational video series entitled BUG CITY in 1998.
- She is a good friend of Michelle Williams.
- She was nominated for Best Kiss at MTV Movie Awards for MONSTER (2004) - shared with Charlize Theron.

Quotes :

- "If anyone ever saw me dance. They'd have trouble taking me seriously."

- "I like the way my own feet smell. I love to smell my sneakers when I take them off."

- "Now my body is really womanly - a little too much so. It's something I can fall back on. When I don't know what else to do, I stick my chest out."

- "Nobody's kissing my ass, unfortunately. I could use a little. But then again, my personality isn't conducive to butt-kissing."

Filmography :

- 1990 Mermaids Kate Flax
- 1991 The Hard Way Bonnie
- 1991 The Addams Family Wednesday Addams
- 1993 The Cemetery Club Jessica
- 1993 Addams Family Values Wednesday Addams
- 1995 Casper Kathleen 'Kat' Harvey
- 1995 Now and Then Young Roberta Martin
- 1995 Golddiggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain Beth Easton
- 1996 Bastard Out of Carolina Dee Dee
- 1996 The Last of the High Kings Erin
- 1997 Little Red Riding Hood Little Red Riding Hood
- 1997 That Darn Cat Patti Randall
- 1997 The Ice Storm Wendy Hood
- 1998 Souvenir Young Orlando (voice)
- 1998 Buffalo '66 Layla
- 1998 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Lucy
- 1998 The Opposite of Sex Dee Dee Truitt
- 1998 Small Soldiers Gwendy Doll (voice)
- 1998 Pecker Shelley
- 1998 Desert Blue Ely Jackson
- 1998 I Woke Up Early the Day I Died Teenage Hooker
- 1999 200 Cigarettes Val
- 1999 No Vacancy Lillian
- 1999 Sleepy Hollow Katrina VanTassel
- 2000 Bless the Child Cheri Post
- 2000 The Man Who Cried Suzie
- 2001 All Over the Guy Rayna Wyckoff
- 2001 Prozac Nation Elizabeth Wurtzel
- 2002 The Gathering Cassie Grant
- 2002 The Laramie Project Romaine Patterson
- 2002 Pumpkin Carolyn McDuffy
- 2002 Miranda Miranda (Alice)
- 2003 Monster Selby
- 2003 Anything Else Amanda
- 2005 Cursed Ellie
- 2006 Penelope Penelope Upcoming
- 2006 Home of the Brave Sarah Schivino
- 2006 The White Rose Sophie Scholl
- 2007 Black Snake Moan Rae.

Beverley Mitchell

2009-05-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

Beverley Mitchell (full name Beverley Ann Mitchell) was born on January 22, 1981 in Arcadia, California, USA. She is a young successful American actress.

Biography and Career :

David and Sharon are her parents' names. They are divorced. While throwing a temper tantrum at a local mall a scout spotted her. She was only four years old. She attended the Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles where studied film.

She finished high school in 1999 and while working on the small screen, she also studied film at Loyola Marymount University. Beverly had a friend named Angela who died in a car accident in Beverly's sophomore year. Beverly later put that story about her bestfriend Angela in Chicken soup for the preteen soul. She also actively participates in the RADD Kids and KMart Kids Race Against Drugs charities, amongst others.

In 1990 she debuted in "Big Brother Jake" and after six years was seen in "The Crow: City of Angels". She became very popular after playing the role of Lucy Camden in "7th Heaven". She has many fans thanks to this role. Even though she is playing the younger sister of Jessica Biel in "7th Heaven" she is older than her. Now (2007) she is also a country singer and released her first album called "Beverley Mitchell" and the single "Angel". She and Michael Cameron, her boyfriend, got engaged.

Being so talented, smart and beautiful helped her building a successful career. We wish her luck and a great career in the years that will come.

Trivia :

- Height: 157 cm
- She is planning to marry in 2007.

Quotes :

- "To be photographed in a bikini is not such a horrible thing, but some things I just want to keep to myself!"

- "I like listening to positive things that make you feel good. I don't find Eminem that entertaining."

Filmography :

- I Know What I Saw (2007) (TV)
- 7th Heaven (242 episodes, 1996-2007)
- Saw II (2005)
- Right on Track (2003) (TV)
- Mean People Suck (2002)
- Girl Band (2000) (TV)
- Hey Arnold! (1 episode, 2000)
- The Crow: City of Angels (1996)
- The Faculty (1 episode, 1996)
- Baywatch (1 episode, 1995)
- White Dwarf (1995) (TV)
- Melrose Place (1 episode, 1994)
- Killing Obsession (1994)
- Phenom (1993) TV Series (unknown episodes, 1993-1994)
- Mother of the Bride (1993) (TV)
- Sinatra (1992) (TV)
- Quantum Leap (1 episode, 1992)
- Baby of the Bride (1991) (TV)
- Children of the Bride (1990) (TV)
- Big Brother Jake (1990) TV Series (unknown episodes).

Demi Moore

2009-05-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

Demi Moore (full name Demetria Gene Guynes) was born on November 11, 1962 in Roswell, New Mexico, U.S.A. and she is an American actress and was one of the best known actresses of 1990s Hollywood.

Biography and Career :

Her father left her mother, Victoria, before Demi was born. Her stepfather, Danny Guynes, didn't add much stability to her life, either. He frequently changed jobs and made the family move a total of 40 times. The parents kept on drinking, arguing and beating, until Guynes finally committed suicide.

She quit school at the age of 16 to work as a pin-up-girl. At 18, she married rock musician Freddie Moore; the marriage lasted four years. At 19, she became a regular on the TV show "General Hospital" (1963).

She became well-known after a string of 1980s te en-oriented movies, and mutated into one of the best-known actresses in 1990s Hollywood. Moore is also known for her marriages to songwriter Freddy Moore and actors Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher.

Her family settled in Los Angeles in 1976. When Moore was sixteen, her then-friend, actress Nastassja Kinski, persuaded her to drop out of Hollywood's Fairfax High School to become an actress. After quitting school, Moore went to work as a pin-up girl, modelled in Europe, and worked at a collection agency.

In the early 1980s, Moore posed for a series of soft-core photographs featuring full frontal nudity. These photos went unnoticed until after she became a star, and were eventually published in a German magazine and later in North America. Moore's film debut was in the 1982 3-D science fiction/horror film, Parasite, which was a hit on the drive-in circuit, ultimately grossing $6 million. However, Moore was not widely known until she played the part of Jackie Templeton on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital, from 1982 to 1983.

Moore spent her General Hospital salaries on parties and drug abuse. Her cocaine habit lasted more than three years until 1985, when director Joel Schumacher fired her from the set of St. Elmo's Fire when she arrived on the set intoxicated. She received withdrawal treatment and returned clean after a week. (Incidentally, Moore's character in St. Elmo's Fire, Jules, was also a cocaine addict.) Moore had to sign a contract stipulating that she would cease her alcohol and drug abuse, an agreement that caused her life to turn around. In the 1980s, she appeared in several youth-oriented films, and was mentioned as being a member of the "Brat Pack".

On November 21, 1987, Demi Moore married actor Bruce Willis, after a highly publicized whirlwind romance (the two met in August of that year) and they became one of the Hollywood's most famous couples. The couple has three daughters, Rumer Glenn (born August 16, 1988), Scout LaRue (born July 20, 1991), and Tallulah Belle (born February 3, 1994). Willis and Moore announced their separation in June of 1998, and divorced in 2000.

She also became a staple of tabloids due to her romantic relationship with actor Ashton Kutcher, who is sixteen years her junior. Both would eventually spoof the public's fascination with their age difference during a monologue on the March 19, 2005 episode of Saturday Night Live. Kutcher, who served as guest host, brought Moore on stage while Moore was made up to appear like an old woman who constantly babied Kutcher.

She and Kutcher got married on Saturday, September 24, 2005 in a lavish, private ceremony conducted by a Kabbalah rabbi and attended by about 100 close friends and family (Bruce Willis included).

Her primary residence is in Hailey, Idaho, near the famous Sun Valley resort, although she spends much time in the Los Angeles area with Kutcher. She is a practicing follower of the Rabbi Philip Berg's Kabbalah Centre religion, and initiated Kutcher into the faith.

Trivia :

- She has three daughters with Bruce Willis: Rumer Willis (b. 1988), Scout LaRue Willis (1991) and Tallulah Belle Willis (1994).
- She was once engaged to Emilio Estevez.
- She posed nude while seven months pregnant for a 1991 'Vanity Fair' magazine cover. In August 1992, she again posed nude for 'Vanity Fair', this time wearing body paint that resembled a man's suit.
- She stripped on "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993), allegedly to disprove rumors that she's too fat for her new movie Striptease (1996).
- Operations on her left eye during childhood caused her to wear a patch.
- She was first actress to reach 10 million dollar salary mark.
- She is aunt of actors Cooper Guynes and Oliver Guynes.
- Her first job was as a bill collector.
- She hired 3 cameramen to videotape the birth of her first child.
- She is a vegetarian.
- She was voted #22 on VH1's Hottest Hotties.
- Though born in New Mexico she spent much of her childhood in Eastern Pennsylvania.
- She is supporter of Arsenal Football Club, and attends home games whenever she is in London.
- She quit school at 16 and started working as a pin-up girl.
- She owns a production company: "Moving Pictures".
- She appeared in John Parr's "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" music video.
- She was listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1986" in John Willis's Screen World, Vol. 38.
- She was replaced by Sandra Bullock for the lead in While You Were Sleeping (1995).

Demi Moore's Dates :

Freddy Moore (1980 - 85)

John Stamos (1982)

Emilio Estevez (1984 - 87)

Bruce Willis (1987 - 00)

Leonardo DiCaprio (1998)

Oliver Whitcomb (1999)

Guy Oseary (2002)

Owen Wilson (2002)

Tobey Maguire (2002)

Anthony Kiedis (2002)

Colin Farrell (2002)

Ashton Kutcher (2003 - Now).

Quotes :

- "I'm sure there are a lot of people who think I'm a bitch."

- "Time is an amazing equalizer. I think if you stay true to yourself and keep moving forward, things come around."

- "The truth is you can have a great marriage, but there are still no guarantees."

Filmography :

- Mr. Brooks (2007)
- Flawless (2007)
- Bobby (2006)
- Chlorine (2006)
- Half Light (2006)
- The Magic 7 (2006) (TV) (voice)
- Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
- "Will & Grace" (203)
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (2002) (V) (voice)
- Passion of Mind (2000)
- Deconstructing Harry (1997)
- G.I. Jane (1997)
- Destination Anywhere (1997)
- "Ellen" (1997)
- Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996) (voice)
- If These Walls Could Talk (1996) (TV) (segment "1952")
- Striptease (1996)
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) (voice)
- The Juror (1996)
- Now and Then (1995)
- The Scarlet Letter (1995)
- Disclosure (1994)
- Indecent Proposal (1993)
- A Few Good Men (1992)
- The Butcher's Wife (1991)
- Mortal Thoughts (1991)
- Nothing But Trouble (1991)
- Ghost (1990)
- "Tales from the Crypt"
- We're No Angels (1989)
- "Moonlighting"
- "Saturday Night Live"
- The Seventh Sign (1988)
- The New Homeowner's Guide to Happiness (1988) (V)
- Wisdom (1986)
- One Crazy Summer (1986)
- About Last Night... (1986)
- St. Elmo's Fire (1985)
- No Small Affair (1984)
- Blame It on Rio (1984)
- "The Master"
- "General Hospital" (1963) TV Series (1982-1983)
- Young Doctors in Love (1982)
- Parasite (1982)
- Choices (1981).

Paris Hilton

2009-05-27T01:28:00.000-07:00

Famous, yes. Talented? That's in the eye of the viewers, and poor little rich girl Hilton found plenty of them in 2003 as the dimmer of two dumb blondes on the popular reality series The Simple Life. The granddaughter of hotelier Conrad Hilton, this skinny starlet was already well known in society circles as a die-hard party girl and middling model. But The Simple Life — which placed her and equally pampered pal Nicole Richie in situations where they were actually required to work — turned her into a household name. As audiences snickered at her empty-headed antics, Hilton — who was already disgustingly wealthy — laughed all the way to the bank. She even managed to trademark her inane catchphrase, "That's hot." While Hilton parlayed her celebrity into roles in a number of movies and TV series and even released a self-titled album, she didn't show much promise and remained in the spotlight due to her outrageous personal life, including high-profile romances (Nick Carter, Paris Latsis, Stavros Niarchos III), an infamous sex video, a hacked cell phone, a public fallout with costar Richie, drunk driving and a controversial 2007 jail stint for driving with a suspended license.
Paris Hilton Fast Facts:
Modeled for renowned designers Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Bouwer and Catherine Malandrino.
Wrote (with Merle Ginsberg and Jeff Vespa) 2004's Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose. From that book: "Despite what you've read, being a famous heiress is not that easy. It is, of course, fun."
In the 2006 Canadian general election, students from McMaster University played off her catchphrase "that's hot" to get out the youth vote with a campaign called "Voters Are Hot."
Reason she refused an offer to appear in Playboy Magazine in 2006? "Because I'm Paris Hilton."
Released her self-titled debut album in August, 2006.
Paris Hilton Relationships:
Kathy Hilton - Mother
Francesca Hilton - Great-aunt
Rick Hilton - Father
Nicky Hilton - Sister
Jason Shaw - Ex-fiancé
Benji Madden - Ex-significant Other
William Barron Hilton - Grandfather
Nick Carter - Ex-significant Other
Conrad Nicholson Hilton Jr. - Great-uncle
Barron Nicholas Hilton - Brother
Conrad Hughes Hilton - Brother
Marilyn J. Hilton - Grandmother
Paris Latsis - Ex-fiancé
Stavros Niarchos - Ex-significant Other

Alison Lohman

2009-05-27T01:07:00.000-07:00

After a childhood of performing musical theater in Palm Springs, CA, Alison Lohman turned down a scholarship to N.Y.U. in favor of an acting career in Hollywood. She landed her film debut in the thriller The Thirteenth Floor at the age of 20 and soon was offered a role on the WB family drama Safe Harbor. Along with appearances in a couple of independent film releases, she continued working in television on the Fox prime-time soap opera Pasadena. However, her role as Michelle Pfeiffer's daughter, Astrid, in 2002's White Oleander marked her first big break. After its release, she gained a starring role as the daughter of Nicolas Cage's character in Ridley Scott's 2003 thriller Matchstick Men.

Her youthful glow still serving well to secure her a variety of high profile film roles, Lohman portrayed a younger version of Jessica Lange's character in the sentimental Tim Burton fantasy Big Fish before searching for a mysterious killer and unearthing long-buried family secrets in the Mike White-created television drama series Pasadena. By 2006 it was finally time for Lohman to come into her own on the big screen, a challenge she faced with commendable aplomb in director Michael Mayer's adaptation of the Mary O'Hara novel -My Friend Flicka. On the heels of Flicka, Lohman was set to appear in a pair of high-profile releases including Tom DiCillo's Delirious and Robert Zemeckis' Beowolf.

http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/alison-lohman/139119
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0517844/bio

Evangeline Lilly

2009-05-27T01:01:00.000-07:00

Lost star Evangeline Lilly has no plans to become one of Hollywood's leading ladies after the hit TV show ends - insisting she never wants to be as famous as Angelina Jolie.

The Canadian actress was tipped as one of the entertainment industry's rising stars when the TV show hit small screens in 2004. But Lilly has snubbed a huge movie career, only taking on three supporting roles in films in the last five years. And her lack of acting ambition has left her bosses disheartened - because she has the potential to be as successful as the Tomb Raider superstar.

She tells Women's Health magazine, "(Producers) have seen that I haven't picked up on the opportunity to become a big movie star. It frustrates (them) that they've given me this chance to become the next Angelina Jolie. Sure, I'd love to be her, but just the humanitarian side."

Marisa Ramirez

2009-05-27T00:59:00.000-07:00

All Souls Day: Dia de los Muertos
Director: Jeremy Kasten

Miracles [TV Series]
Released by: ABC
Director: Matt Reeves, Bill D'Elia, Michael Rhodes, Lawrence Trilling

Diane Kruger

2009-05-27T00:55:00.000-07:00

Born Diane Heidkrüger in Hildesheim, Germany, Diane Kruger initially aspired to be a dancer and studied with the Royal Ballet in London. When an injury ended her hopes for a dancing career, she began modeling in Germany, where she became a finalist of the Look of the Year contest at the age of 15. She worked with renowned fashion designers Dolce && Gabbana, and her pictures graced the covers of magazines like Vogue and Elle. Moving to Paris on the advice of film director Luc Besson, Kruger decided to take up acting and enrolled in the Ecole Florent, where she became top of her class in 2002.

The same year, the actress made her big-screen debut opposite Dennis Hopper and Christopher Lambert in the indie feature The Piano Player (aka The Target), but she was not truly revealed until her role in Mon Idole, co-starring and directed by her real-life companion Guillaume Canet. After a couple more acting assignments in France, Kruger began her Hollywood career by acting alongside Josh Hartnett and Rose Byrne in Wicker Park, a remake of the 1996 French film L'Appartement.

While still filming Wicker Park in 2003, she was selected among many other candidates to play the legendary beauty Helen of Troy in Wolfgang Petersen's historical epic Troy (2004). The latter film ended up being released before Wicker Park, thus becoming her high-profile introduction to the American public. She also starred opposite Nicolas Cage in Jon Turteltaub's National Treasure.

http://www.fascination-kruger.com/

Kim Kardashian

2009-05-27T00:48:00.000-07:00

Full Name:
Kimberly Noel Kardashian

Birthdate:
October 21, 1980

Birth Place:
Los Angeles, California

Height:
5'3"

Career Start:
Kim Kardashian, Superstar (2007)

Amy Adams

2009-05-27T00:41:00.000-07:00

Amy Lou Adams was born on August 20, 1975, on the U.S. military base in Aviano, Italy, where her father was stationed with the U.S. Army, and she was raised in Castle Rock, Colorado. She worked at the local Hooters Restaurant part-time while attending high school, all the while dreaming of a career in show business. Following graduation, she trained for a career as a dancer, and found work in a prominent Denver dinner theater.
amy adams in drop dead gorgeous
In 1996, Amy Adams relocated to Minnesota after a producer hired her to replace one of the girls at his dinner theater in Chanhassen, outside of Minneapolis. There, she honed her singing, dancing and acting skills, appearing in a number of productions, including Brigadoon and Good News.

While the Midwest, location may not have been as ideal as New York or L.A., she landed a lucky break when she was cast in the 1999 comedy Drop Dead Gorgeous, costarring Kirsten Dunst and Denise Richards, which happened to be set in Minnesota.

amy adams on tv

Amy Adams' positive experience in making Drop Dead Gorgeous helped her change her mind about doing dinner theater, and at the urging of her costar Kirstie Alley, she moved out to Los Angeles. Within a few weeks of her arrival, she landed a leading role on the FOX TV series Manchester Prep, based on the movie Cruel Intentions. The show never aired due to its risque sexual content; instead, it was released in 2000 as Cruel Intentions 2, a direct-to-video feature film.

Despite this minor setback, Amy Adams continued to find steady acting gigs. In 2000, she appeared in episodes of such TV series as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Providence, Charmed, and That '70s Show, as well as in independent films like The Chromium Hook and Psycho Beach Party. In 2001, she guest starred in an episode of Smallville, and appeared in an episode of The West Wing the following year.

amy adams in catch me if you can
Amy Adams padded her movie role resume in 2002 with appearances in Serving Sara, starring Elizabeth Hurley and Matthew Perry, and Pumpkin with Christina Ricci. That same year, she had a small but memorable part as Leonardo DiCaprio's fiancee in Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can. Her sole screen appearance in 2003 was in the drama The Slaughter Rule with Ryan Gosling.

Amy Adams reemerged in 2004, costarring with Fred Savage in the comedy The Last Run. She lent her voice to a couple of episodes of the animated series King of the Hill, and costarred with Rob Lowe on Dr. Vegas, a CBS series that failed to find an audience and was quickly canceled.

amy adams in junebug
2005 became the breakthrough year for Amy Adams. She played Debra Messing's half-sister in the romantic comedy The Wedding Date, and landed the recurring role of Katy on the popular TV sitcom The Office. However, the highlight of her year was her poignant and very funny portrayal of Ashley in Junebug -- a pregnant Southern belle, who, despite not being the central character in the film, emerged as the most memorable. After wowing audiences at Sundance, her performance went on to win acclaim from several critics' associations.

Amy Adams was cast alongside Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen (otherwise known as Ali G) in the NASCAR comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) and in the musical Moonlight Serenade (2006).

amy adams in enchanted
2007 was a busy year for Amy Adams. She appeared in Enchanted alongside Grey's Anatomy superstar Patrick Dempsey. The role showed Amy's comedic side and shot her straight into the limelight around the world. The movie was a huge success. Soon after Amy landed a role in the biographical drama, Charlie Wilson's War alongside bigwigs like Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

amy adams in doubt
Despite her multiple roles in headliner movies, it was udoubtedly (see what we did there?) Amy's role in the Oscar nominated flick Doubt that really pushed her into superstardom. With Meryl Streep and Viola Davis as her costars, how could she not shine brightly? And the audiences weren't the only ones who noticed her shining, the execs at the Academy Awards gave an Oscar nom to Amy Adams for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, and while she received this nod before for her role in Junebug, Doubt had a much more dramatic impact on the audience and the critics.

2008 didn't just bring Doubt and an Oscar nod to Amy Adams; the sexy star also officially left the market as she and her boyfriend (Darren Le Gallo) of six years became engaged in April.

Tina Fey

2009-05-27T00:36:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Tina Fey was born on May 18, 1970, in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. Coming from a diverse background (her mother is Greek, her father German-Irish) she grew up with multiple influences, humor among them. Her mother's biting wit pushed Tina to start making snappy remarks when she was just a kid. But both parents loved comedy and they watched funny movies and TV shows with Tina all the time.

A self-described "supernerd," Tina Fey wrote a humor column for her high school newspaper while taking part in the drama club and the choir. She reserved her smart-ass remarks for the popular crowd, the kids who glorified their own boozing and sleeping around.

tina fey joins second city
Tina Fey studied drama at the University of Virginia, graduated in 1992 and moved to Chicago. Her goal was to join the elite Second City comedy troupe, which had been the breeding ground for such past Saturday Night Live greats as John Belushi, Chris Farley and Bill Murray. She failed her first audition for the selective Second City Training Center in 1994 and took a job at the YMCA until, eight weeks later, she tried again and got it.

Second City honed Tina Fey's talents as a writer and performer for several years, sharpening her improvisational skills in particular. In 1995, scouts for NBC, who were looking for fresh talent for SNL, called upon Second City and were impressed by Tina Fey. Her friend Adam McKay was a writer himself and he invited Tina to send in some sketches for review. Shortly thereafter, she went to New York and met SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels, who was instantly smitten and gave her a job the following week.

tina fey on saturday night live

After a few years writing for the show, including the recurring parodies of Live with Regis and Kelly and The View, Tina Fey was named head writer for SNL, becoming the first woman to occupy that position.

Not long after that, she made her debut in front of the camera, cohosting "Weekend Update" with Jimmy Fallon. It became their permanent gig and many lauded it as the best incarnation of "Update" ever.

tina fey writes mean girls
One of Tina Fey's most successful independent undertakings was writing a screenplay based on a book that had been receiving a lot of attention. Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends & Other Realities of Adolescence by Rosalind Wiseman reminded Tina Fey of the backstabbing and conniving girls of her high school. Adding some of her comedic spins, she wrote the screenplay for the hit movie Mean Girls (2004), which starred Lindsay Lohan.

tina fey on 30 rock, wins emmys

After writing for SNL for nine years, Tina Fey left her post at the variety show in 2006 and went on to create her own television show, 30 Rock. As creator, writer and one of the leads, Tina Fey acted alongside Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, and Judah Friedlander. In both 2007 and 2008, 30 Rock took the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and in '08, Tina Fey won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

In 2008, Tina Fey also starred alongside fellow SNL comic Amy Poehler in the comedy Baby Mama.

tina fey's sarah palin imitation
During the 2008 presidential election, Tina Fey made several popular guest appearances on SNL playing the role of Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential candidate. The resemblance between Fey and Palin was remarkable and Fey nailed her imitation of the Alaska governor-turned-international celebrity.

tina fey wins golden globe, is no. 97 on 2009 top 99

In 2009, Tina Fey received a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Musical Or Comedy for her work on the hit show 30 Rock. She also came in at No. 97 on AskMen.com's Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2009.

Katie Cassidy

2009-05-27T00:31:00.000-07:00

Katie Cassidy has showbiz in her veins. As the daughter of former teen heartthrob David Cassidy, Katie Cassidy spent much of her youth in the spotlight, routinely showing off her guitar and piano skills in local theater productions.

With her talent and pedigree, it wasn’t long before the music industry came calling and Katie Cassidy landed a deal with Artemis Records in 2002 to cover her father’s mega hit “I think I love You.” Not surprisingly, the song helped make Katie a star, just as it had for David in the ‘70s, and she promptly landed a role on VH1’s Bubblegum Babylon.

katie cassidy, the actress
Additional roles soon followed in popular shows and films, such as The Division (2003), Listen Up (2005), The Lost (2005), and 7th Heaven, where she played the recurring role of Martin’s classmate, Zoe. Katie Cassidy’s increased exposure also led to multiple modeling opportunities and she cashed in during 2004 with high-profile campaigns for Abercrombie & Fitch and Guess?.

As impressive as her previous accomplishments have been, Katie Cassidy’s career truly hit hyperdrive in 2006, thanks to coveted roles in Adam Sandler’s blockbuster comedy Click and the tense thriller When a Stranger Calls. Katie Cassidy has also put in the hours for the comedies Walk the Talk (2006), You are Here (2006) and Live! (2007), as well as the remake of the sinister horror flick Black Christmas (2006).

katie cassidy moves to melrose place
It comes as no surprise that, thanks to the success of 2008's 90210 remake, a Melrose Place spin-off is in the works for 2009. The first person to be formally attached to the show, Katie Cassidy won the part of Ella Flynn, a character inspired by Heather Locklear's famous role on the original series. Katie Cassidy is also rumored to be starring as Lucy Ewing in the 2010 film Dallas, based on the former TV series, a role that Jessica Simpson apparently was hoping to land. Until then, we'll be content seeing a lot more of Katie Cassidy as a resident of our favorite fictional apartment complex this fall.

Ari Graynor

2009-05-27T00:19:00.000-07:00

Ariel Geltman Graynor was born April 27, 1983, in Boston, Massachusetts. The daughter of an amateur actress, Ari knew from an early age that she wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps. "When I was a kid, in first grade, I remember our class was doing a play, and I was assigned a role,” she says. “I came home that day in tears because I was just thrilled to be doing it." Her passion for performing continued to grow throughout her teens, as she appeared in a number of local productions in Boston’s vibrant theater community. “My parents were always so supportive,” she says. “I was always a happy a kid, but somehow the picture always felt more complete when I was on stage.

ari graynor appears on the sopranos
Ari Graynor made the jump from the stage to the screen at age 17 when she played a sexually wanton, manic-depressive student in a four-episode arc of The Sopranos. "That was a pretty great gig, and especially for it to be my first,” she says. Unfortunately, it was also her last major gig for a period of two years until 2003 when she landed a supporting role in the Academy Award-winning drama Mystic River. Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, and Laurence Fishburne, the film went on to gross more than $156 million worldwide. "It was such a thrill for that to be my first experience on film,” she says. “With him as a director, plus all the people in it, it was just incredible. My actual work was minimal, I was in just a few scenes, but the whole experience of it was amazing.”

ari graynor makes her broadway debut
Although her role may have been minimal, Ari Garynor’s association with the hit film paved the way for a number of other projects over the next two years including parts in the romantic comedy Book of Love starring Simon Baker, the riveting drama Imaginary Heroes featuring Sigourney Weaver and Jeff Daniels and the offbeat dramedy Game 6, with Robert Downey Jr. and Michael Keaton. Ari Graynor also returned to her theatrical roots with a starring role in Brooklyn Boy, a well-received Broadway play from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Marguiles.

Ari Graynor returned to the big screen again the following year with supporting roles in the Christopher Guest satire For Your Consideration and in the gritty dramas An American Crime, starring Ellen Page and Catherine Keener, and Turn the River with Famke Janssen. She also supplemented her income with guest-starring roles in the hit shows CSI: Miami, Numb3rs and American Dad.

ari graynor appears in nick and norah’s infinite playlist
Despite her impressive resume, Ari Graynor went through a prolonged period in 2008 when she couldn’t find any work at all. "I had not worked in seven months,” she admits. “I was in one of those horrible actor black holes of really thinking that I'd probably never work again.” Fortunately, her luck changed for the better when she received the script for Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, a hilarious teen comedy about one wild night in New York City. The script resonated with Ari Graynor, and she knew immediately that she had to play the role of Caroline, Norah’s drunken best friend. “I was obsessed with her from the beginning,” she says. “The casting director told me to audition for Norah too, but there was just something about Caroline I completely connected with. Obviously, Norah is well written, but I just felt like I might never read another role that would be so fun to play. I acted like I was about to vomit in my mouth and just went for it.” Her instincts paid off, and Ari Graynor’s spectacular performance helped the film garner a handful of award nominations while also raking in a respectable $31 million at the box office.

ari graynor appears in fringe
Ari Gaynor has since appeared in five episodes of the J.J. Abrams' sci-fi series Fringe. “I am a fan of J.J. Abrams, and it seemed like an incredible opportunity to work on a cool show with great people,” she says. “It's great for me because I don't have to deal with crazy night shoots or slime or things coming out of my body. I just go hang out in Brooklyn and drink some tea.”

ari graynor looking ahead
The summer ahead promises to be huge for Ari Graynor, as she re-teams with her Nick and Norah co-star Michael Cera in the romantic comedy Youth in Revolt. She’ll also star in Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, Whip It!.“I think it's going to be a really special movie,” she says of the roller derby-themed comedy. “Visually, it will be amazing, and you have all these amazing women derbying.”

Cobie Smulders

2009-05-27T00:14:00.000-07:00

Jacoba Fransisca Maria "Cobie" Smulders was born on April 3rd, 1982, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Initially, Cobie Smulders' career ambitions were in medicine and marine biology, but acting became one of her favorite pastimes once she started appearing in school productions at Lord Byng Secondary School. She also kept herself busy in sports by regularly playing tennis and soccer.

Blessed with good looks, Cobie Smulders also drew interest from the modeling community and, after landing a professional contract overseas, her work took her to destinations like Greece, Japan, Italy, Africa, and Germany. Despite her busy schedule, Smulders still completed high school on time and with an honors distinction in 2000. More keen to act rather than model, Smulders opted to try her hand as an actress.

cobie smulders stars in veritas: the quest and the l word
After high school, Cobie Smulders began acting professionally in a number of television series that were filmed in her hometown. Her first two TV appearances came in 2002 on a pair of sci-fi programs: UPN's Special Unit 2 and the Luke Perry-led Jeremiah. Just a year later, Smulders guest-starred on Tru Calling and landed a lead role as Juliet Droil on the adventure series, Veritas: The Quest. Unfortunately, the series was canceled after only 13 episodes.

Cobie Smulders pressed on, getting valuable film exposure with a bit part in Walking Tall (starring The Rock) and a supporting role in the Canadian-made Ill Fated. In 2005, after having guest-starred on Smallville and Andromeda, Smulders enjoyed a recurring role in The L Word as Leigh Ostin, a photographer who attracts Jennifer Beals.

cobie smulders stars on how i met your mother and the slammin' salmon
In the fall of 2005, Cobie Smulders found her breakout role playing Robin Scherbatzky, a former Canadian teen singer who hooks up with Ted (Josh Radnor) on the CBS sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. Joining a cast that already included Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel, Smulders attracted a strong fan following of her own, as viewers were kept in suspense as to whether Robin was the "mother" of the title.

Currently enjoying the benefits of a long-running television series, Cobie Smulders is still finding time to pursue other acting projects on the side. In 2005, she starred in The Long Weekend, which was top-lined by Chris Klein. In 2009, she will star as Tara in The Slammin' Salmon, a restaurant-set comedy starring Michael Clarke Duncan, produced by the Broken Lizard comedy group (Beer Fest and Super Troopers).

Jade Goody

2009-05-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody was born on June 5, 1981, in London, England. Her childhood was very difficult, in part due to the estranged relationships between family members. Her father, Andrew Goody, suffered from a drug addiction that separated him from the rest of the family and would eventually claim his life. Jackiey Budden, Goody's mother, had problems of her own. She gave up Goody's brother for adoption, and then an accident impeded her memory and made her right arm useless, forcing Jade Goody to drop out of school at age 5 to care for her.

Though she made it into adulthood in one piece, Jade Goody faced new challenges. She was holding a job as a dental assistant, but her then boyfriend was abusive, her finances were in shambles and she was concerned for her mother's well being. As her significant debt wasn't going away, as a means of change, Goody applied to be on the third installment of the British reality series, Big Brother.

jade goody on big brother 3
In 2002, Jade Goody was accepted as a contestant on Big Brother 3 and immediately made an impact. As the youngest contestant in the history of the show, she said as she pleased, professed her love of shopping and rum, stripped naked on-camera, and got mixed up in sexual shenanigans with a fellow contestant. She finished a surprising fourth on the show and became a fan favorite.

Jade Goody's run on Big Brother paid off her debt and bought her a fame ticket that even she hadn't expected. She appeared on other reality spin-offs and game shows like Celebrity Driving School, Wife Swap, The Weakest Link, and Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen. The LivingTV network also created a series of shows such as Jade's Salon, Jade's P.A. and Just Jade that followed Goody in her new career endeavors. A beauty salon called Ugly's, a perfume named Shhh…, a book (Jade: My Autobiography), and a weekly Now column all made Jade Goody a millionaire and a British pop culture fixture. A 2007 poll by the magazine Heat placed her 25th on the list of the world's most influential people.

jade goody on celebrity big brother 5
In 2007, Jade Goody returned to Big Brother for the fifth celebrity series in a house that also included Indian actress Shilpa Shetty. The two of them were almost immediately at odds, and some of Jade Goody's comments toward the actress incited cries of racism. In time, the viewers had to vote one of the two from the house, and 82% sent Jade Goody packing.

The controversy from the show put a damper on the past success of Jade Goody's reality TV career, but after releasing her newest perfume, Controversial, she tried to make amends by appearing on Bigg Boss, an Indian spin-off of Big Brother. Jade Goody's stay on the show proved to be short-lived when she was diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer. Despite her failing health, she still appeared in a theater production of Snow White, opened yet another salon, released a new book, and bravely detailed her cancer battle on a special called Living With Jade Goody. On March 22, 2009, just a month after marrying Jack Tweed, Jade Goody passed away. Her funeral attracted thousands of mourners, and her legacy will live on through her two sons, Bobby and Freddie.

Sarah Roemer

2009-05-27T00:03:00.000-07:00

Sarah Christin Roemer was born on August 28, 1984, in San Diego, California. A native of the popular beach community, Coronado, Roemer got her first break at 15 during a coffee stop at 7-Eleven. A model agency owner asked her if she had considered modeling before and Roemer and her parents took him up on the offer.

Two years after her initial stroke of luck, Sarah Roemer moved to New York and later to Los Angeles to further her career chances. She signed on with a pair of agencies, L.A. Models and The Fashion Model Management in Milan, which allowed her to take on modeling assignments in North American and abroad. Roemer's modeling highlights included ads for Sonia Rykiel and a magazine cover for Sportswear International in 2004.

sarah roemer stars in the grudge 2 and disturbia
In 2004, Sarah Roemer's coffee habit led to another show business connection. A talent agent approached her -- this time to ask if she was interested in trying acting. An enthusiastic Roemer was game for the challenge, but it wasn’t exactly a Disney-style beginning. In 2006, she made her big-screen debut in Wristcutters: A Love Story, a film that followed suicidal people beyond death. Later that year, Roemer landed a key role in the high-profile horror sequel The Grudge 2. In it, she played Lacey, a Chicago teen who’s terrorized by a vengeful spirit.

Sarah Roemer's role in 2007's Disturbia marked a professional turning point for her. She played Ashley, the girl next door who captures the attention of the delinquent Cale (Shia LaBeouf). The teen thriller racked up an impressive $117 million in worldwide box office sales and gave Roemer a prime role opposite one of Hollywood's most promising young stars.

sarah roemer stars in fired up and waking madison
The success of Disturbia led to a pair of starring roles in 2008 films for Sarah Roemer. The first was The Golden Door, in which she played an apartment dweller who hooks up with a handsome doorman (Joseph Cross). The second was Asylum, which saw her as a student living in a haunted dwelling that was once an insane asylum.

In 2009, Sarah Roemer made her first foray into on-screen cheerleading alongside Molly Sims, AnnaLynne McCord and Danneel Harris in the sexy comedy, Fired Up. Two films remain on her slate for the year. Hachiko: A Dog's Story casts Roemer in a supporting role opposite Richard Gere, while Waking Madison has her acting with Elisabeth Shue and Taryn Manning. The latter film might be Roemer's most intense film yet. In the title role, Roemer plays a mentally unstable woman with multiple personalities who explores an experimental treatment by locking herself in a suite for a month. But if you have multiple personalities, you're never really alone, right?

Spencer Grammer

2009-05-26T23:57:00.000-07:00

Spencer Karen Grammer was born on October 9th, 1983, in Los Angeles, California. Born to actor Kelsey Grammer and his first wife, dance teacher Doreen Alderman, she grew up in Los Angeles at a time when her dad was a successful TV star on Cheers. Although Grammer initially had an interest in zoology, she found herself drawn to her dad's line of work.

Spencer Grammer got her first real sample of acting in 1991 in a toothbrush commercial, followed by a walk-on extra role in Cheers (thanks, dad). In time, more commercials would follow for Grammer, including a department store ad and higher-profile spots for Kodak and MTV. While she was getting her feet wet in acting, Grammer kept up with her education -- first graduating from Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, and then moving to New York to attend Marymount Manhattan College.

spencer grammer joins the cast of as the world turns
Initially starting in art history studies in college, Spencer Grammer made the switch to theater to match her career interests. When she wasn't hitting the books, she continuously auditioned for new roles, following her father's advice of bringing truth and honesty to her work. After a dance appearance for MTV's Learn to Hip Hop: Volume 2 video in 2003, Grammer won the role of Sheila on the new CBS series, Clubhouse. The series didn't have legs, but she moved on and essayed other new series like Jonny Zero before landing a guest spot as Kimmie Haynes on the popular show, Third Watch. Additional roles on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and The Bedford Diaries would follow.

In 2006, Spencer Grammer became the third actress to portray Dr. Lucy Montgomery on the daytime soap opera, As the World Turns. Her run on the series lasted over 90 episodes and she also branched out into films like the short film The Path of Most Resistance and the feature Beautiful Ohio, which won awards at the Northampton Film Festival and Sarasota Film Festival respectively.

spencer grammer stars on greek
Only two short weeks after she left the cast of As the World Turns, Spencer Grammer had a new audition -- this time for the ABC Family series, Greek. She won the part and was faced with the prospect of playing Casey Cartwright, a sorority leader who finds herself trapped in a love triangle. Because of her new professional commitment, Grammer temporarily left her studies at Marymount Manhattan College, but she returned in 2008 to complete her degree in theater.

Now entering her third season on Greek, Spencer Grammer has enjoyed becoming friends on and off-camera with her castmates and establishing herself as a professional actress. In addition to her critically praised and solidly rated TV series, Grammer has continued to seek out acting roles for film. Most recently, she appeared uncredited in the intense drama, Descent starring Rosario Dawson.

Back to the Future

2009-05-26T05:03:00.001-07:00

Filmmaker Robert Zemeckis topped his breakaway hit Romancing the Stone with Back to the Future, a joyous comedy with a dazzling hook: what would it be like to meet your parents in their youth? Billed as a special-effects comedy, the imaginative film (the top box-office smash of 1985) has staying power because of the heart behind Zemeckis and Bob Gale's script. High schooler Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox, during the height of his TV success) is catapulted back to the '50s where he sees his parents in their teens, and accidentally changes the history of how Mom and Dad met. Filled with the humorous ideology of the '50s, filtered through the knowledge of the '80s (actor Ronald Reagan is president, ha!), the film comes off as a Twilight Zone episode written by Preston Sturges. Filled with memorable effects and two wonderfully off-key, perfectly cast performances: Christopher Lloyd as the crazy scientist who builds the time machine (a DeLorean luxury car) and Crispin Glover as Marty's geeky dad. --Doug Thomas
Critics and audiences didn't seem too happy with Back to the Future, Part II, the inventive, perhaps too clever sequel. Director Zemeckis and cast bent over backwards to add layers of time-travel complication, and while it surely exercises the brain it isn't necessarily funny in the same way that its predecessor was. It's well worth a visit, though, just to appreciate the imagination that went into it, particularly in a finale that has Marty watching his own actions from the first film. --Tom Keogh

Shot back-to-back with the second chapter in the trilogy, Back to the Future, Part III is less hectic than that film and has the same sweet spirit of the first, albeit in a whole new setting. This time, Marty ends up in the Old West of 1885, trying to prevent the death of mad scientist Christopher Lloyd at the hands of gunman Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson, who had a recurring role as the bully Biff). Director Zemeckis successfully blends exciting special effects with the traditions of a Western and comes up with something original and fun.

E.T.

2009-05-26T05:02:00.000-07:00

Both versions of Steven Spielberg's masterpiece are available on this limited edition DVD of E.T- THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL. The original 1982 and the 2002 re-mastered version are equally impressive. The minor cuts and restored footage doesn't add much. Sure, the CG E.T is impressive and there are some great moments put back in that make the film feel more complete. But the heart of the film stays the same. Differing from Spielberg's more strident films (JAWS, the INDIANA JONES films and JURASSIC PARK), E.T is the simple story of Elliot (Henry Thomas) who finds a friend from space and helps him to find his way home, hence the oft-quoted line "E.T phone home!". The iconic image of Elliot riding past the moon is one of the most memorable movie moments in cinema history, accompanied by John William's whimsical score (Another coup-de-grace par-excellence). The film itself is still emotionally involving and the peformances of the principal actors, especially Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore are fantastic. Regardless of the film's 2002 theatrical dissapointment, Spielberg's masterful storytelling holds up to this day. One of my all-time favourites, E.T will always be remembered as one of the greatest cinema experiences in film history.
The DVD extras are very impressive. Startting off with Disc One, the 2002 version has an introduction by Steven Spielberg, a live performance of John Williams conducting at the 2002 premiere and an "exciting space exploration". Disc Two has the 1982 version. the extras include a "Spotlight on Location" featurette, The Reunion: The cast and filmmakers talk sbout the film. The Evolution and Creation of ET: hundreds of production photographs, conceptual drawings and original advertising in an interactive environment. Also included are theatrical trailers and DVD-ROM features. A must have DVD.

Gremlins

2009-05-26T05:01:00.000-07:00

An inventor with a penchant for oddities that don't work (Hoyt Axton), while selling his wares in a sketchy section of Chinatown, comes across a young boy who promises to show him some wonderful things within his grandfather's shop. Once inside he does indeed find himself amongst the odd and wonderful. He becomes drawn to the singing of a cute furry little creature known as a Mogwai, and informs the shopkeeper that he simply must have the Mogwai, as he's in dire need of a Christmas present for his son. The shopkeeper hesitates, and finally says no to the inventor, Randall Peltzer, as with the Mogwai "comes great responsibility." Distraught, Mr. Peltzer turns to leave. However, knowing that his family needs the money, the young boy offers to help him out by selling him the Mogwai behind his grandfather's back. The adorable fuzzy little creature comes with three rules. He doesn't like bright lights, he can't get wet, and he can't be fed after midnight.
Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) is elated upon opening his present. He immediately becomes friends with the Mogwai, Gizmo, and makes sure he abides by all the aforementioned rules. When a neighborhood boy comes by to deliver a Christmas tree, he doesn't exercise quite as much caution and accidentally spills water on the Mogwai. This unveils a whole new trait for Gizmo, and a whole new world for Billy. The Peltzer family soon discovers just how much responsibility is necessary for a creature of this caliber, as does the rest of the town they live in. Bad things may come in cute, cuddly, furry little packages.

I rate the movie as five stars, and the DVD as three, hence the average of four stars. The acting is superb, and the effects are brilliant, even if they are a little gory (the whole kitchen scene comes to mind) for the rating given (PG). The gremlins themselves are superbly done, especially when you consider that these are puppets and are not computer-generated! Each of them has their own unique personality that comes out in little snippets throughout the duration of the film, proving that every minute detail was taken into consideration with the making of this movie. The soundtrack is classic eighties cheesiness in all its glory and splendor. Howie Mandel did a good job as the voice of Gizmo, even if it didn't consist of much. Chris Columbus, Joe Dante and Steven Spielberg prove themselves an excellent team, combining a humorous and witty script with some extremely good moviemaking. This movie has become, and will live on as, a cult classic adored by fans of monster and horror films and should not be missed.

However, the DVD package leaves something to be desired. Apparently "Special Edition" need not be very special at all, consisting of only a couple of commentary tracks and the trailer for the film. Both of which are appreciated, yet many DVD's offer much more than that these days. I would have hoped that this very special movie would be released with a little bit more bite, and perhaps someday it will. Until then, this DVD will have to suffice.

The Goonies

2009-05-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

The first thing I was thinking when "Goonies" really kicked into gear was: This is the daydream of an adventure-loving preadolescent boy, full of pirates, bloodthirsty villains, and exotic twists and turns in an underground maze full of booby traps. It's sort of "Indiana Jones" for the kids as well as the adults.
The Goonies (a band of young boys) are spending their last weekend hanging around their hometown, before it's razed for yuppie developers. Then Mikey Walsh (Sean Astin) uncovers a treasure map hidden in an old painting, and becomes obsessed with finding the lost treasure of the pirate One-Eyed Willie. With that treasure, they could save their town.

But the hunt for treasure sends the Goonies, Mikey's long-suffering teenage brother (Josh Brolin), and a pair of teenage girls (Kerri Green and Martha Plimpton) into dangerous proximity to the murderous fugitives, the Fratellis. With the Fratellis on their tail, the Goonies are determinedly navigating the underground, booby-trap-infested tunnels that lead to the treasure -- or to a very nasty demise.

The stolidly mature among you may scoff at the improbability of the story, but who cares? This is obviously a fantasy story, harkening back to pirate treasure and childhood adventures, thwarting the evil guys. The classic formulae are what makes it so fun. "Goonies" is like "Indiana Jones" in the sense that it's action-filled, with nasty villains, elaborate booby-traps, and a plotline that is wonderfully improbable. This is just fun. The sets are amazingly complex, full of stone tunnels and enormous waterfalls full of money, thin little bridges and a bone piano that causes the floor to collapse.

Sean Astin (yes, this is THAT Sean Astin, the guy currently starring as Samwise Gamgee in "Lord of the Rings") is endearing and very convincing as Mikey, the gutsy boy that could. Josh Brolin is also good as his overbearing but nice brother; the other Goonies include the incredibly funny Corey Feldman as "Mouth" (the scene where he weirds out the cleaning lady is priceless), comic relief Jeff Cohen as "Chunk" who bumbles from one misadventure to another, and Jonathan Ke Quan (who was also in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom") as gadget-obsessed "Data," a kid riddled all over with homemade inventions that occasionally save the heroes' behinds.

Though this film was made in the 1980s, it's aged extremely well -- now there is affection on top of the original liking for it. It's a funny, entertaining thrillride with pirates, villains, treasure and a band of quirky heroes. Great fun.

The NeverEnding Story Review

2009-05-26T04:59:00.000-07:00

In 1994, Wolfgang Petersen directed the film adaptation of the German novel "Die Unendliche Geschichte", which was written by Michael Ende (1929-1995). The film/novel is better known in the U.S. with its English title of "The Neverending Story". It was also the first film that Wolfgang Petersen filmed in English. The story begins with a troubled boy named Bastian (Barret Oliver), who is being raised by his father (Gerald McRaney). An avid reader with an active imagination, Bastian walks into a used bookstore owned by Mr. Koreander (Thomas Hill) and finds a mysterious book that captures his curiosity. Mr. Koreander seemingly doesn't want to sell the book to him, but Bastian manages to run from the store with book in hand. Bastian takes the book to school with him, where he is tormented by three bullies (Drum Garrett, Darryl Cooksey & Nicholas Gilbert). To avoid the bullies, Bastian finds refuge in a rarely-used attic within the school and begins to read from the book about a magical land called Fantasia. Fantasia is a wonderful place with many unusual characters and is ruled by the Childlike Princess (Tami Stronach), but something terrible is happening to Fantasia as parts of it are disappearing by an unknown force referred to only as "the nothing". The Childlike Princess calls upon the strongest warrior to find a human child to stop "the nothing". The warrior, a boy named Atreyu (Noah Hathaway) of a tribe similar to Native Americans, takes the protective signet that the Childlike Princess gives to him and sets off to find a human child, which can only be found beyond the bounds of Fantasia. To his astonishment, as Bastian reads the book and the many adventures, challenges and dangers and Atreyu faces, Bastian slowly begins to realize whom Atreyu and the Childlike Princess are actually seeking.

With imaginative characters, good cinematography & special effects and an endearing & well-written story, "The Neverending Story" is a wonderful and engaging film that not only captures Bastian's imagination in the story, but the audience's imagination as well. Other memorable characters in the film include Teeny Weeny (Deep Roy), Night Hob (Tilo Prückner), Cairon (Moses Gunn), Engywook (Sydney Bromley), Urgl (Patricia Hayes), Falkor (voice of Alan Oppenheimer), Rock Biter, the Racing Snail and the Bat. Overall, I rate "The Neverending Story" with 5 out of 5 stars and very highly recommend it to both young & old alike. It's a wonderful film that can be watched time and again without becoming tiresome. Sadly, the film's two sequels (produced in 1990 & 1994) were far less memorable. Other films directed by Wolfgang Petersen include "Das Boot" (1981), "Enemy Mine" (1985), "The Perfect Storm" (2000) and "Troy" (2004).

The Last Unicorn

2009-05-26T04:57:00.001-07:00

Although anime is beginning to change people's minds, far too many Westerners still think of animation as a genre only fit for children. The Last Unicorn ought to be high on the viewing list of anyone who believes animation is just for kids--yes, it's a "cartoon," but it's also beautifully animated, with unique and unforgettable characters, and the storyline is as true to the original source material (book by Peter S. Beagle) as any movie adaptation I've ever seen.

In her unchanging, always-spring forest lives a unicorn (voice of Mia Farrow), ageless, wise and innocent, and without regret--unicorns can feel sorrow, but it's not the same thing. One day, when men come into her forest to hunt, she discovers that she is the last of the unicorns. With snatches of help and hints from a dizzy butterfly, she sets out to find the others. On her way she picks up an incompetent magician named Schmendrick (voice of Alan Arkin), a withered woman named Molly Grue (voice of Tammy Grimes), and eventually finds the kingdom of King Haggard (voice of Christopher Lee) and his son Lir (voice of Jeff Bridges). But in the changing, aging world of humans, can the unicorn even keep track of who she is and how the story should end?

The movie version isn't perfect. There are some awkward scenes, including a terrible duet by Mia Farrow and Jeff Bridges which never should have been included, and some scenes contain material such as mild profanity, bare breasts and depictions of death which might not be suitable for children. But there is an earnestness to this film, a magic in the way ideas are expressed, that's all too rare in modern filmmaking. This quality helps many viewers overlook the film's flaws.

So if The Last Unicorn is that good of a movie, why does it only rate two stars? Because the current U.S. DVD release is terrible. This is a full-frame release, ***not widescreen***. The DVD has poor cover art and offers zero special features. The actual transfer is grainy and blurry in spots, with no evidence of any kind of restoration work. The soundtrack has a distinctly tinny quality. In fact, the only reason one would purchase this DVD was if one had only a single copy of the film taped off television some 15 years ago and watched over and over until the VHS tape nearly wore out... rather like me, in fact.

Labyrinth

2009-05-26T04:56:00.001-07:00

In the early 80's Jim Henson created one of the most ambitious fantasy films ever: The Dark Crystal. It was a movie that had a completely realized world with its own creatures and flora... and it was performed entirely by puppets. Not the Muppet kind that Henson is famous for, mind you. These were serious creations that involved serious innovations in animatronics. While many loved the movie and it was critically acclaimed many others didn't "get it". There was no human interaction in the movie whatsoever and that put off people. Also the movie was serious with none of that Muppet mayhem Henson fans are so used to. That put off a few more people.

The next evolutionary step in Jim's grand scheme of fantasy puppetry was Labyrinth, and they filled in the gaps that The Dark Crystal left for those who couldn't (or wouldn't) "get" the concept of a fully realized fantasy setting that is outside of our own. How does he do it? Let me tell you...

Step One - Human actors. Labyrinth included the young, yet already talented Jennifer Connelly as their heroine and well-established musician and actor David Bowie as her nemesis. Now you get the fun of a complete puppet world while at the same time you have human characters that interact in that same environment. Thus giving the viewer a better connection to the puppet characters.

Step Two - Better puppets. The Dark Crystal is a masterpiece in of itself, however the technology used to animate the puppets was in its infancy and if you had to be picky about it you can pick away at the limitations of the puppets in that movie. With Labyrinth you get updated technology, which gives you puppets who can show emotions better. Case in point is the goblin Hoggle, who is the starring puppet. So much attention to detail went into his facial expressions that you can actually see the fear, disgust, anger, and joy in his eyes. Add to that other puppetry innovations and you have a world of cool puppets.

Step Three - Keep it fun. The Dark Crystal was a grandiose and serious film that included some funny moments now and then. Labyrinth is the opposite. Is a fun film where the characters meet up with unexpected and often times crazy situations. Makes this fantasy adventure feel more comical in the same way it would reading a fun bedtime story.

Step Four - Keep the original concept. Jim Henson did The Dark Crystal with the thought that he wanted to create a whole different world inhabited by beings and creatures portrayed entirely by puppets. Labyrinth is essentially the same thing, but done in a different way. Walking through the movie's namesake (the maze that leads to the goblin city) is definitely like being in another world that's both fascinating and fun. Much of what you see is visually impressive and essentially relish in the fact your eyes can play tricks on you. Brian Froud is again signed on as the conceptual designer and his work shines just as well in this iteration as it did with Dark Crystal.

Labyrinth also has the destinction of having songs specially written for the movie by David Bowie. Keep in mind this movie was in the 80's so what you get is 80's Bowie, and there are a couple scenes that flow more like music videos (or musical numbers) than standard scenes.

You might get the impression I am dogging on Dark Crystal in order to lift up Labyrinth. Can't be farther from the truth. However I do know the differences between the two films and how the other was made in response to the first. Labyrinth is the folk tale while Dark Crystal is the fantasy book. I believe both are fantastic movies.

The original DVD for Labyrinth was a good compilation right from the start, and is superceded only now with the Anniversary Edition. Here's what you get:

Documentary Making of the Labyrinth - Has interviews with actors, puppet performers and production staff including Jim Henson, Brian Henson, David Bowie (who gives us some insight on his character) and Jennifer Connelly as well as lots of details on design and production of the movie. This documentary is a gem for those of you want solid behind-the-scenes details and was in the original DVD and is included on the Anniversary edition.

Journey Through the Labyrinth: Kingdom of Characters and The Quest for Golden City - These two all new featurettes include updated interviews with the cast and crew and never before seen footage from the Jim Henson archives. Kingdom of Characters focuses on... you guessed it... the main characters in the movie including conceptual design for the puppets (although Hoggle seems to be mostly left out, likely because there is so much of him in the original documentary) and background info on the actors. The Quest for the Golden City is mostly design details on the labyrinth, Goblin City and castle itself. These featurettes do well to fill in the gaps left by the original documentary. The extra footage is test footage of the puppets and such, with some production footage as well. I noticed some of the production footage was a rehash of what's on Making of the Labyrinth, but the crosstalk is few and far between.

Legend

2009-05-26T04:55:00.001-07:00

LEGEND never really found an audience in theatres despite Ridley Scott and Universal's constant tinkering with the final cut. Seems many movies of this era were victims of audience test screenings, and the desire to give people a commercial product that went down easy -- see BRAZIL for a prime example of how studios think (the "love conquers all" version). So LEGEND was severely edited and rescored with a hasty (but often effective score by TANGERINE DREAM). It was short on plot and long on art direction, but sumptuous visuals and an all-out acting job by Tim Curry and make-up artist Rick Bottin made the movie an easy favorite of many fantasy fans. The movie looks stunning, and the story is a universal plunge into archetypes. Nothing wrong with that, it certainly worked for STAR WARS!
This DVD collection gives you two versions of LEGEND -- the original director's cut with over twenty minutes of added footage and the original Goldsmith score; and in addition, you get the original US release. In essence you get two different movies! The moods vary, the characters seem a little different, with whole new speeches and images to enjoy. If you are a fan of the movie or Ridley Scott it's a MUST-HAVE! This is what DVD dreams are made of. While many bemoan the fact BLADE RUNNER does not come with its 2 versions -- the fact is other than the narration and the happy ending, there is not MUCH different. But here we have a case where you can see what happens to a movie as it goes through development HELL. Fascinating stuff, and it comes LOADED with extras.

The only downside is the director's cut gets the royal treatment of a 5.1 sound mix while the other version gets a 2 channel Dolby mix, and even the video quality seems different with again the director's cut looking better than the theatrical release. But at last we can see a widescreen version of either cut, and we get a lot of extras that explain some of why the movie is the way it ended up. Beautiful images, two good soundtracks (I like both though the mood changes), and basically strong performances. LEGEND is a waking dream!

Willow

2009-05-26T04:54:00.001-07:00

What do you get when you have George Lucas AND Ron Howard, both famous for their work in the movie-making industry, producing and directing this movie? You've got it, a fantastic, rollicking fantasy-adventure!
The evil Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) has for years been searching for the baby who, according to an ancient prophecy, will end her reign of terror. Taking all the pregnant women, she searches each and every baby when one day, the sacred girl is born. But before Bavmorda could kill her, a faithful midwife takes the child away from the castle. When she realizes she is being pursued, she lets the baby drift away on a river. The abandoned girl is found by a Nelwyn named Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis). But Willow quickly finds out that the baby is being tracked down Bavmorda's armies, including her daughter Sorsha (Joanne Whalley) and General Kael (Pat Roach). Willow sets out to the crossroads to give the baby back to the Daikini, or the big humans. He finds out though through the magical Cherlindrea (Maria Holvoe) about the baby, Elora Danan (played by both Ruth and Kate Greenfield) and the prophecy about her. Willow, with the companionship of swordsman and warrior Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) and Brownies Rool and Franjean (Kevin Pollak & Rick Overton), they go to seek help from sorceress Fin Raziel (Patricia Hayes).

A totally charming movie, "Willow" will be one of my favorite movies to watch for a long time. Though people must be warned that though it is rated PG, it's more like PG-13 in some areas and I strongly suggest that adults watch before their children do.

Everything is wonderful about the movie, from the directing, the acting by the whole cast, an enchanting plot, pretty good special effects, and plenty of humor and action. There's humor that is witty, sarcastic, and laugh-out-loud funny. Val Kilmer as Madmartigan and the two Brownies gets plenty of great lines. Yet at the same time the movie is pretty serious with all of the battles against good and evil, and Val Kilmer is a great swash-buckling swordfighter and handles the sword pretty well.

And this DVD isn't called "Special Edition" for no reason. Though it may not have as many special features as many recent movie special editions, "Willow" will satisfy you. 1) Commentary by Warwick Davis, 2) Willow: Making of an Adventure Featurette, 3) Featurette: Morf to Morphing, 4) Behind-the-Scenes Still Gallery, 5) Theatrical Teasers and Trailers, 6) 8 TV Spots, and a few more. One thing you must watch is the 'Making of an Adventure Featurette'. Looking at an older Ron Howard with his mustache certainly was a little shock to me after seeing him play Opie on the "Andy Griffith Show" and acting in "Happy Days". One part that was fun about it is when they were talking about the love scenes in the movie. Val Kilmer admits that whenever he had to kiss Joanne Whalley, afterwards he always forgot his lines and no matter how many times they had to do it, he never got it right. They were married after making the movie but unfortunately, they were divorced later on.

So if you are thinking about getting "Willow", I strongly recommend that you watch it! Enjoyable for the whole family, if your children are old enough to handle some parts of the film. And if you have a chance to check out the quotes and trivia page on Amazon, I suggest you do because you can find out all sorts of things.

The Mists of Avalon

2009-05-26T04:53:00.000-07:00

Most tellings of the King Arthur story focus on Arthur and Merlin, and perhaps mention Gueneviere as the unfaithful wench that broke up the great friendship of Arthur and Lancelot. Marion Zimmer Bradley took a twist on the story, telling it from the point of view of the 'dark witch' instead of the 'golden haired beauty'.
It's a tale full of the raw power of medieval England, where a belief in nature and natural spirits was vying with the approach of Christianity. It tells not only of women and men's different views of the world, but of love triangles, Christianity ousting the 'old ways', and a changing of culture.

The TNT miniseries version stars Anjelica Huston, Julianna Margulies, and Joan Allen in the girl-power production. Huston is the magestic matriarch of Viviane, the Lady of the Lake, who in most stories is just the giver-of-the-sword to Arthur. Here she's the protector of Avalon, the center of the old power, one that is being replaced slowly by the bells of Christianity. They in fact share the same physical space, but only those with the power to believe can cross into Avalon.

Margulies is Morgaine, Arthur's half-sister. They share a mother, but Arthur is born when Uther Pendragon lusts after Morgaine's mother Igraine and through deception beds her. Igraine and Viviane are sisters, but while Viviane defends the old ways, Igraine turns to the new (Christianity). The third sister, Morgause, is jealous of the other two and causes quite a bit of trouble.

This was always a favorite book of mine, so I was very curious how they would bring it on screen. The locations were gorgeous - it was shot in Czechoslovakia and has the primitive wildness that medieval England would have had. The costumes were also gorgeous, and the actors and actresses were top notch. I really enjoyed the relationship Morgaine has later in her life.

I do understand that certain of the themes are sensitive to a TV viewing audience. After all, Arthur and his half-sister Morgaine sleep together (not realizing they're related) when they're teenagers, and she bears a son from this union. Also, Arthur and Lancelot were attracted to each other in the book. These layers of sexuality added another dimension to the story, but they were a bit too risque for many viewers. The story was altered to change the way a lot of this was presented.

Also, the scene where Morgaine and Gueneviere first meet was supposed to contrast the beautiful-blonde-Christian vs the small-dark-pagan - at least that's how Morgaine saw it. Because the book is told from Morgaine's point of view, it's not always the reality, of course, but her impression of it. But in the miniseries they stripped away a lot of the dialogue so you loose some of that sense.

And then, near the end, it slips completely away, and where at the end of the book I'm thrilled to have gone on the journey, with the miniseries I wonder just exactly was the spot where they went wrong. I think the key is to watch it and think of it as a way to get people to read the book. It's really enjoyable as a good movie to watch, and if it gets more people to read the book, that's fine by me!